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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25006369">Gotta Kriff ’Em All</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/kermit202/pseuds/kermit202'>kermit202</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars Sequel Trilogy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Pokemon, Alternate Universe - Pokemon Fusion, Ben is a dumbass, Devoted Reylo, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, Happy Ending, Mutual Pining, Pokemon, Pokemon AU, Slow Burn, and that’s not a euphemism, ben has a secret, gloom vs ben, han is an egg smuggler, probably not, they’re both trainers, they’re just two fools in love, this kinda got soft, who will win rey’s affection?, will they ever stop bickering?</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 02:16:32</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>98,320</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25006369</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/kermit202/pseuds/kermit202</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Rey is just trying her best to become a Pokémon Master. Too bad she keeps running into a certain broody trainer. </p><p>  <b>A Pokémon AU</b></p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>182</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>108</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Ijustfellintothissendhelp</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. I’ve Got a Bad Weezing About This</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>so I know it’s been forever since sword and shield came out but I still like to roam the wild area and I just thought hmm reylo au </p><p>literally nobody asked for this but here we are</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Rey knew she shouldn’t have shaken that berry tree as hard as she did. But really, could you blame her? </p><p><br/>The wild area was a vast stretch of land filled with rolling plains and various bodies of water. Traversing its distance was hungry work. And it’s not like she was overflowing with the means to buy a bike to make it easier on her. Oh, no. She was cursed to walk this land using her own two feet—and the blisters that accompanied them. </p><p><br/>Her meager funds barely allowed her to afford anything other than a pack of ramen every once in a while from one of the traders that wandered the area. She didn’t even want to <em> think </em>about how expensive a bike with roving capabilities would cost. So she had resigned herself to going to bed each night with aching feet and a slightly unsatisfied stomach. </p><p><br/>And don’t even get her started on the dicey game that was diving into her backpack to search for something to eat. She could only withstand so many tiny mushrooms before her stomach turned into a full-fledged ecosystem for them. She’d like to see how many ways a person could whip up something mildly edible with tiny mushrooms. It just wasn’t humanly possible. </p><p><em><br/>Fancy apples</em>. Now those were available in abundance. Too bad that she was too short to reach the tall branches that held the sweet fruit. They’d just hang there mocking her as she jumped and punched the unmovable trunks to no avail. There were tons of the little withered ones that would fall to the bases of trees or roll into tangled bushes. But there was nothing <em> fancy </em> about those apples. Mushy apples was a more appropriate name. </p><p><br/>So who could really blame her for wanting a little <em> variety </em> in her meals? The berries would provide that extra kick to her sad little apple feast. Sorry, <em> fancy </em>apple feast. </p><p><br/>The berry tree in question was nestled against the watchtower lair just <em> begging </em>to be shaken. Plump oran berries poked through the dense mass of leaves. They looked fit to burst, Rey’s mouth was watering just looking at them. </p><p><br/>She hesitates before she takes a step towards the tree. After all, the watchtower lair was rumoured to be haunted by a giant ghost of a Pokémon that roamed its walls looking for unsuspecting victims. </p><p><br/>However, rumours were no match for Rey’s stomach. Let a ghost devour her—that would certainly solve her hunger issues. </p><p><br/>At least <em> someone </em> would be eating around here.</p><p><br/>So that’s where she finds herself—shaking this berry tree like it had personally offended her, the ripe berries taunting her. Oran berry after oran berry plops down around the base of the tree. She has to be careful not to squash them with her wild shaking technique.</p><p><br/>A cheri berry joins the growing pile by her feet. <em> Oh great. </em>That’ll give a nice spicy kick to her apples. Who doesn’t like a spicy apple? Angered by the thought of spicy apples, she puts even more ferocity into her shaking. </p><p><br/>“Come on, you stupid tree, give me something good.” </p><p><br/>A flash of pink drops from the tree and lands with a soft splat on her forehead. The juice of the ripe berry drips down her face in a sticky mess. Darting out her tongue, she quickly licks the juice that is collecting by her mouth. The sweet flavour bursts in her mouth, waking up her dormant taste buds. <em>Oh, that must’ve been a pecha ber—</em> <em><br/></em></p><p><br/>Something suddenly flies out of the tree and collides with Rey. Well, not exactly <em> collides, </em> but more like flies <em> through </em> her. The action knocks her flat on her back. <br/><br/></p><p>“What the—” She is interrupted by the sound of one of her poké balls opening up. Her little tumble jostled it free from where it was clipped on her belt. <br/><br/></p><p>The shape of her Gloom glows red before he materializes before her, his usual sullen face replaced with one of confusion.</p><p><br/>“Gloom?” He queries.</p><p><br/>Rey pulls herself into a sitting position. “Hey, sorry buddy, I didn’t mean to wake you. Are you—” </p><p><br/>But she doesn’t get to finish her question because the throaty sound of laughter draws her attention to the Gastly absolutely losing it at the sight of her. </p><p><br/>“What’s so funny?” Rey shouts at the laughing Pokémon. She’s really trying to keep as much dignity as possible. Try as she might—she <em> knows </em> she looks stupid. Berry juice is still covering her face while she’s crumpled on the grass with her Gloom quivering by her side. It’s a funny sight. The Gastly has every reason to laugh at her misery. But that doesn’t mean she’s not fuming about it, hungry and sticky and absolutely steaming. </p><p><br/>The Gastly is, understandably, confused as to why she’s not joining in on the laughter. And on any other day she would. She’d find this whole situation downright hilarious, laugh until her ribs hurt. But she’s had a long day and all she wanted was some damn berries. Was that too much to ask? <br/><br/></p><p>Deciding this whole situation needed to contain even more hilarity, the Gastly makes the logical decision to stick out its massive tongue and lick every inch of her poor Gloom’s face. The action makes even <em> Rey </em> experience full body shivers. <br/><br/></p><p>It takes approximately half a second for Gloom to freak out and release a foul fragrance in distress. He is so scared of Gastly that he books it—his tiny little legs moving so fast that he stirs up a dirt cloud in his wake. <br/><br/></p><p>“No, Gloom, come back! Don’t wander—” Rey coughs from the stench he left behind. The poor guy really must’ve been terrified because the smell is <em>deadly.</em> <br/><br/></p><p>She tries to scramble to her feet to go after him, but the Gastly keeps popping up every way she turns, laughing at her. Rey needs to think of a way she could get out of this situation—and fast. The thought of Gloom getting lost and not being able to find her is heartbreaking. She has to find him.</p><p> </p><p>Putting on her best impression of a Loudred, Rey charges at the ghost Pokémon, the sound of her screech echoing around them.</p><p><br/>This being her second time having a Gastly warp through her does not make it any more pleasant. In fact, it’s even worse. Zero out of ten—she would not recommend it to her worst enemies. But it does the trick.</p><p><br/>The Gastly zips away from her, growing bored of her screaming antics. Rey is growing bored of this whole situation too, that feeling is not Gastly exclusive. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey makes a mental note to get in touch with an exorcist or possibly a vacuum salesperson before running off in the direction Gloom disappeared to. Horrible thoughts of him being all alone and cold in the wild flit through her mind.</p><p><br/>She had caught him when he was only an Oddish, the first Pokémon to become her friend. She couldn’t bear the thought of being away from him for too long. <br/><br/></p><p>She’s following the perimeter of the decrepit watchtower when she hears it—the unmistakable sound of something big crunching the ground. <em> The ghost. </em> The Pokémon that haunts the tower, it’s coming for her.<br/><br/></p><p>The steps begin to pick up speed as the blood starts to pound in her ears. There’s nowhere to hide, it’s all just open space around her.<br/><br/></p><p>Whatever is stomping around back there is about to come face-to-face with her. This is just so fitting. Of <em> course </em> she’s about to be eaten by the ghost of a Pokémon. That’s just her luck. She couldn’t have even died with a full belly. Her stupid stomach is the reason she was even in this predicament. <em> Here lies Rey, died for the berries. </em>  <br/><br/></p><p>Rey takes one final gulp of her dry throat before the creature appears before her. It’s <em> huge. </em>A full head taller than her, its pale face long and looming in the twilight. Deep set eyes pour into hers with such ferocity it steals the breath away from her. Then the creature parts its large pink lips and lets out a wild shriek. The sound breaks Rey out of her trance, and she decides that it’s perfectly reasonable to scream right back at it. If this thing is going to kill her, she may as well try to rupture its eardrums as a final revenge. </p><p><br/>She cowers in on herself and starts chanting, “please don’t kill me,” because apparently she’s at the pleading stage of bargaining for her life. <em>So much for accepting death gallantly.<br/><br/></em></p><p>When she chances a peek at her body and it is decidedly not eaten, she reverts back to anger.<br/><br/></p><p>“Fuck off, ghost! Go back to whatever underworld you came from.” Her whole body is shaking with half rage half terror. She’s torn between wanting this ghost to hurry up and eat her or wanting to sucker punch it in its dumb pale face. </p><p><br/>A deep rumble of a voice spares her the chance of making a decision. <br/><br/></p><p>“I’m not a ghost,” says the ghost. <em>What sort of mind games is this thing playing?  </em>Didn’t anyone ever teach it not to play with its food? Someone needs to teach this ghost a few manners. She turns to give it a piece of her mind and is shocked at what she finds.<br/><br/></p><p>Not a ghost. But a man. A tall man. Thick locks of black hair fall around his pale face. The contrast between the two colours is night and day. <em> No wonder she mistook him for a ghost.<br/><br/></em></p><p>She can hear him breathing heavily, his broad chest calming down after the adrenaline rush of moments prior. She flicks her eyes back up to his face and finds he has the most mesmerizing, soft, green-brown eyes she’d ever seen. But that is the only thing soft about him. The rest of his face is all hard lines and sharp edges. A strong nose stands center above his full lips, mashing together in what looked to be annoyance. <br/><br/></p><p>She doesn’t understand why <em> he’s </em>the annoyed one. It isn’t like <em> she’s</em> creeping around abandoned towers trying to scare people. What’s his deal anyways? <br/><br/></p><p>Rey finds herself getting annoyed at his annoyance. If anyone had the right to feel annoyed around here, it’s her.<br/><br/></p><p>“Why’d you scream in my face?” <br/><br/></p><p>The man who is not a ghost narrows his eyes. “Why’d you scream at me?” <br/><br/></p><p>Rey’s left eye starts to twitch. “I asked you first!” <br/><br/></p><p>He rolls his eyes and points to her forehead. “You’ve got blood dripping all down your face.” A single finger swirls in a circular pattern just inches from her skin, as if he just <em>has</em> to show her what he’s talking about. It’s not like she couldn’t <em> feel </em> the juice still stuck on her features. <br/><br/></p><p>“It’s not blood,” she says matter-of-factly. “It’s the juice from a pecha berry.” Her tone indicates that this is an obvious piece of information. How <em> foolish </em> of him not to recognize the difference between blood and a berry. <br/><br/></p><p>The pale man flashes her a skeptical look. “And you just thought it would be a good place to put it?” <br/><br/></p><p>Here comes that eye twitch again. She has a feeling this man is going to provoke a lot more where that came from. <br/><br/></p><p>“<em>No. </em> It fell from the berry tree I was shaking. I don’t just make a habit of squishing berries on my face,” she begins heatedly. “Although, it’s a far less strange habit than creeping around abandoned ruins trying to scare the daylights out of people!” <br/><br/></p><p>A mean look forms on his face. “I wasn’t creeping around.” His voice is low and dangerous. “I heard someone screaming so I ran over here to try and help.” His eyebrows furrow in anger. “It’s not <em> my </em> fault you mistook me for a ghost.” The corner of his mouth turns up a fraction of an inch. And <em> oh, </em>he looks truly sinister like this. “You screamed so loud a flock of Rookidees scattered from every tree in the vicinity.”<br/><br/></p><p>Rey could feel a blush start to stain her cheeks. She doesn’t need to justify herself to this infuriating man, but she finds herself doing just that.<br/><br/></p><p>“For your information, I was attacked by an unruly Gastly. It knocked me over and wouldn’t leave me alone. Then it kept blocking me from getting away,” she explains, exasperation colouring her tone. <br/><br/></p><p>He still has that maddening skeptical look on his face. “How does one exactly get knocked over by a Gastly? It’s made of gas,” he says flatly. “Why didn’t you just,” he motions his stupidly large hand in an arc through the air, “blow it away?” <br/><br/></p><p>She swears one of her teeth crack from the intensity of how hard she’s clenching them right now. He can’t be serious. He didn’t just suggest blowing a Gastly away like it was the most obvious answer of all time. Like she could just fan it away from her like a cloud of dust. She must’ve heard him wrong. That pecha berry must’ve hit her harder than she initially thought. <br/><br/></p><p>When she speaks, it’s through her teeth. “And how, please tell me, was I supposed to blow it away?” </p><p><br/>He looks at her like she had just grown a second head, like some sick human version of a Weezing. Which, judging by how the day was unfolding, not completely impossible. <br/><br/></p><p>“You’re a trainer, right? Don’t you have any Pokémon that could’ve used whirlwind or gust?” <br/><br/></p><p>“I <em> had </em> my Gloom with me, but he got frightened by the Gastly and ran away.” The heat in her voice dies down to a simmer at the thought of her Pokémon. <br/><br/></p><p>“That’s really irresponsible, you know. What kind of trainer loses their Pokémon?” <br/><br/></p><p>She doesn’t even have the heart to argue with him. <em> He’s right</em>. How could she have let this happen? A <em> real </em> trainer would’ve been able to battle their way out of that predicament. <br/><br/></p><p>Her shoulders slump in defeat. “I didn’t mean to,” her voice is weak. “He just got out of his poké ball in the scuffle. I tried to go after him but the Gastly wouldn't let up. By the time it did, I ran into you.” Her nose sniffles, and she inhales a stuttering breath, trying not to cry. </p><p><br/>Whatever he sees on her face must convince him, because the shadow of his features softens slightly. </p><p><br/>He scans their surroundings, his hair flipping about with each turn of his head. “Well he couldn’t have gotten too far. Which way did he go?” <br/><br/></p><p>Rey’s head snaps up from its downturned position. “You’ll help me find him?” A hopeful look shines in her eyes.</p><p><br/>Was she wrong about this stranger? Could it be possible he really was just concerned about her screaming and not an actual monster trying to frighten her? Is it so far-fetched to think he has good intentions? <br/><br/></p><p>“Well, you’d never be able to do it on your own.” <br/><br/></p><p>Or maybe she was right about him being a complete jerk after all. <br/><br/></p><p>The irritation from earlier is back in full force. “I would’ve had a head start if <em> someone </em> hadn’t yelled in my face.” <br/><br/></p><p>He blows air through his nose in one angry puff. “Do you want my help or not?” </p><p><br/>She worries her bottom lip between her teeth. Two sets of eyes would be better than one in this scenario. She’d put up with this guy a thousand times over if it meant finding Gloom as quick as possible. <br/><br/></p><p>“Fine. He went that way.” Rey points to the direction she was headed before she was rudely interrupted.<br/><br/></p><p>Her insufferable companion nods and hikes up his backpack before setting off. She shuffles along trying to keep up with his long strides. <br/><br/></p><p>Maybe they’ll be able to get along. For Gloom’s sake. She’ll keep it civil between them, despite wanting to drop kick him every time she looks at his stupidly luscious hair, or his dumb smooth lips. Maybe they could find some happy middle ground, like their passion for Pokémon. Maybe that’ll bond them. Maybe—</p><p><br/>“You’ve still got berry juice on your face,” he nonchalantly throws over his shoulder.<br/><br/></p><p>Maybe it isn’t too late to drop kick him. <br/><br/></p><p>———</p><p><br/>As the two of them leave the watchtower ruins and start searching the dappled grove, the rudely large man unhooks one of his poké balls and releases—<br/><br/></p><p>“A Growlithe!” Rey exclaims, causing a nearby Hoothoot to fall off a tree in surprise. “Aren’t you just the cutest little thing,” she says as she picks up and nuzzles the Pokémon.<br/><br/></p><p>The man’s eyes bug out of his head. “Be careful, he doesn’t like when people to—” But whatever he was going to say dies in his throat when the Growlithe starts licking her face with enthusiasm. <br/><br/></p><p>“Who’s a good boy? You’re a good boy,” she coos while running her hands through the scruff of his neck, laughing all the while.<br/><br/></p><p>He lets out a gargantuan sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose in annoyance. “You know you really should <em> ask </em> before picking up a Pokémon. He usually bites anyone who tries to touch him.” <br/><br/></p><p>Rey just throws him a wry smile while still petting his Pokémon’s fur. “Well, he doesn’t seem to be biting <em> me. </em> I think he likes me!” She gives him a pat on the head, voice turning concerned. “Hey Growlithe, do you think you could help me find my Gloom? Can you follow his scent?” <br/><br/></p><p>“Don’t give my Pokémon commands,” he growls, stepping closer to her. <br/><br/></p><p>“I wasn’t commanding, I was asking!” She stands up and gets right in his face, only inches apart as they leer at each other, no signs of backing down. He’s so tall she has to crane her neck to meet his eyes. From this view, she can see he has a lot more beauty marks dotting his face than she previously thought. It’s actually kind of pretty. Like a constellation. She finds herself unconsciously leaning in for a closer look, his eyes slightly widening at her trajectory. <br/><br/></p><p>Growlithe’s bark breaks the tension and both of their heads comically whip around to the sound at the same time. He starts bouncing off in the direction of a ring of trees in the distance. She and the brooding man exchange one quick look at each other before they’re off, sprinting to catch up to Growlithe.<br/><br/></p><p>He leads them to a hollowed out log surrounded by tiny purple flowers. Despite the flowers, the area reeks of distress. But thankfully, inside the log, huddled in on himself, sits a sullen and defeated—</p><p><br/>“Gloom! What’re you doing over there?” The concern and subsequent relief mingles through her tone. <br/><br/></p><p>She thinks she hears the prat behind her mumble, “taking a nap it seems,” but chooses to ignore him. <br/><br/></p><p>At the sound of her voice, Gloom peers out at her and immediately rushes into her outstretched arms. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey can hear a small snicker coming from behind her. While still hugging Gloom, she turns to level a glare at the insensitive knob head. He’s trying, but failing spectacularly, to stifle a giggle. His index finger comes up to rub under his nose in an attempt to hide his smile. However, his amusement finds its way through his stupid nose, escaping in a snort. <br/><br/></p><p>“Why—” he begins, only to be interrupted by another tiny giggle. “Why does—” he tries again. Another laugh failing to be suppressed bursts out of his mouth, high and sharp. “Why does he look like that?” The end of his question turns up an octave and he erupts in a fit of giggles. <br/><br/></p><p>Oh this guy is <em>really </em> starting to make her angry. “What do you mean? That’s just his face!” <br/><br/></p><p>Apparently that is the wrong thing to say because it only makes him laugh even harder, doubling over while his Growlithe tilts his head in confusion—almost like he doesn’t recognize his trainer without a scowl etched on his face. </p><p><br/>Rey tugs Gloom closer to her. “Don’t listen to him, he doesn’t know what he’s saying,” she whispers in a soothing voice. </p><p><br/>And really, he doesn’t. What’s his deal? It’s not like Gloom was doing anything remotely funny. Okay, maybe his face looks a little morose most of the time, but he can’t help it! She pats him on the back reassuringly while staring daggers at the absolute jackass who is one step away from rolling on the ground pissing himself with laughter. <br/><br/></p><p>“Will you stop laughing! You’re gonna draw every Pokémon in existence to us!” she hisses, eyes darting around. </p><p><br/>“Sorry, sorry I—” His laughter is cut off with a quick intake of breath, his eyes focusing on something behind her. Her spine stiffens. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey slowly starts to turn her panic-ridden body to see whatever it is that captured his attention so singularly that he stopped his laughter. <br/><br/></p><p><em>Of</em> <em> course</em>. <br/><br/></p><p>Of course this buffoon and his raucous laughter attracted the Gastly back to them, obviously feeling left out of all the fun. <br/><br/></p><p>The idiotic fool moves to push her behind him. “Here, let me. I’ll show you a real battle.” <br/><br/></p><p>She stills him with a hand on his bicep. He looks down at her hand in something that looks like shock—looks at her like he’s surprised she has the courage to touch him. <em> Oh, who cares what he thinks. </em> Let him be repulsed by her touch. It makes no difference to her. It’s not like <em> she’s </em> affected by his rock hard muscles flexing under her fingertips. Not like <em> her </em> breath catches in her throat. She’s not affected. Not at all. <br/><br/></p><p>She squares her shoulders. “No. I have to do this.” Her head is shaking, her voice breathless. “I <em> need </em> to do this.” <br/><br/></p><p>He stares at her with his mouth slightly agape for a few moments before nodding and stepping aside. <br/><br/></p><p>Okay, a battle. She is going to battle. The <em> ole </em> Pokémon battle. Of course she’s battled before. She’s <em> won </em> battles before. But she never had an audience while doing it. Especially not an audience consisting of one irksome, yet annoyingly pleasant to look at, man. <br/><br/></p><p>She settles Gloom on the ground and bends down on one knee before him. “Alright buddy, you can do this. Just like every time before.” She flashes him an encouraging smile. “Give it your best shot.” <br/><br/></p><p>Rey straightens up and situates her ball cap more snuggly against her head. She watches as her little Pokémon walks over to the opposing Gastly.<br/><br/></p><p>“Come on, Gloom, use acid!” </p><p><br/>A thick purple sludge erupts from Gloom’s head and lands a perfect hit on the Gastly. <br/><br/></p><p>“Great job, Gloom,” she says through a big toothy smile. She sneaks a glance at the distracting giant and finds he’s looking right at her. <em> Focus Rey. </em> Before her nerves get the best of her, she turns her attention back to the battle. <br/><br/></p><p>The Gastly, naturally, doesn’t find the experience of being covered in acid all too pleasant. Rey isn’t so sure she’d be happy with that either. So when it counters with a mean look to her Gloom, she can understand the intention.<br/><br/></p><p>But her brave little Gloom musters up as much courage as he can and awaits her instructions. <br/><br/></p><p>“Alright Gloom, let's put this ghost to rest! Hit ’em with sleep powder,” she shouts, accentuating her request with a menacing finger pointed at the Gastly. She may have seen the man on the sidelines palm his forehead at her dramatics, but she couldn’t be sure. <br/><br/></p><p>A big cloud of dust forms out of the top of Gloom’s head, scattering around the Gastly. It yawns, mouth stretching wide open, while its eyes blink slowly as it tries to stay awake. However, it’s no match for the sleep powder, falling asleep while still floating steadily above the ground. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey takes a great big leap in the air. “That was amazing, Gloom! You did it!” <br/><br/></p><p>“Gloom,” he happily squeaks in return. <br/><br/></p><p>Taking a poké ball out of her bag, she throws it at the sleeping Gastly. It enters the poké ball in a red glow before it drops to the ground, twitching once, twice, three times before she hears the glorious sound of it being captured. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey scoops Gloom up and spins around. “We did it, we did it!” she chants, so happy she could cry. “We caught a Gastly!” Maybe she isn’t such a bad trainer. Maybe her dreams of being a Pokémon master weren’t impossible. She could do this, she could really achieve her dreams. <br/><br/></p><p>The sound of a throat clearing breaks her out of her reverie. She completely forgot about her little audience amongst the thrill of the battle. She sets Gloom down and watches as Growlithe runs over and starts sniffing him. She spares them one fond glance, smiling at their secret conversation, before she’s walking over to the man.  <br/><br/></p><p>She’s fully preparing herself to be critiqued by him—made fun of for her subpar battling techniques or her enthusiasm over catching such a measly Pokémon. She swallows and nervously meets his eyes. Eyes that, surprisingly, have softened considerably since the start of the battle. <br/><br/></p><p>“That was pretty impressive,” he remarks, running a hand through his hair. Rey gets the feeling he isn’t used to giving compliments. She’s waiting for the other shoe to drop. The ‘that was pretty impressive, <em> but’ </em> to come out of his mouth. Except it never comes. Instead, what comes is, “you and your Gloom should be proud of yourselves.” <br/><br/></p><p>“Thank you,” she says slowly, still not completely sure he’s not going to start insulting her at any second. “And thanks for helping me find Gloom. I couldn’t have done it without you and Growlithe,” she concedes.  <br/><br/></p><p>“It was nothing,” he mutters while darting his eyes to the ground. <br/><br/></p><p>There’s a bit of an awkward silence, neither of them knowing what to say next. And to be completely honest, Rey’s still a little shocked at this turn of events. She didn’t know the guy had it in him to be nice. <em> Could’ve fooled her. <br/><br/></em></p><p>He grips his backpack straps a little tighter. “Well, I guess I’ll leave you to it then.” He mashes his lips together into a thin line. “Good luck on your journey,” he offers in his deep voice, his hypnotizing eyes scanning her face. <br/><br/></p><p>“Yeah, you too,” she returns breathlessly. <br/><br/></p><p>And it’s a little sad to think about walking away. It’s like her body doesn’t want to move—like her mind doesn’t want <em>him </em>to move either. The thought of him walking away from her reminds her all too much of her parents. She was going to be left behind. <em> Again.<br/><br/></em></p><p>It would’ve been nice to get to know this stranger a little more. Sure, they started off rocky, and she <em> really </em> wanted to throw her entire supply of fancy apples at him, but hey, they figured it out in the end. She thought they may have started to get along for a second there. He even complimented her for fucks sake! Who knows what sort of things they’d get up to if they’d had more time together. She’d probably end up growing fonder of his presence and snarky wit. The thought almost makes her shudder. Maybe it’s a good thing they had to go their separate ways. <br/><br/></p><p>With one last lingering look shared between them, Rey mutters, “goodbye then.” She thinks she sees his mouth move silently, like he’s about to say something, but he backs out at the last second, only nodding to her in goodbye. They both start to walk away. <br/><br/></p><p>Except they both walk in the same direction. <br/><br/></p><p>“What are you doing?” Confusion lines his long face. <br/><br/></p><p>“I’m going this way,” she gestures to the open space. “What are <em> you </em> doing?” <br/><br/></p><p>“This is the direction <em> I’m </em> going.” His voice is fighting to stay calm. Of course he’s failing remarkably at it. <br/><br/></p><p>Her eye twitches. So she <em> was </em> right—he’s going to make her develop a permanent twitch. Her left eye would never know peace again. <br/><br/></p><p>“Well, go a different way!”<br/><br/></p><p>He scoffs, like her answer is totally unreasonable. “Not a chance, sweetheart.” <br/><br/></p><p>Rey pushes past him, her feet stomping through the grass, not as menacing as she would have liked to appear. She is not going to address the way her heart flutters at the endearment. No way. She isn’t going to examine how her body reacts to hearing his deep voice say that. She’s going to deal with that like she deals with all her feelings. Avoid them. <br/><br/></p><p>“Don’t call me that!” <br/><br/></p><p>“Would you prefer ‘pain in my ass’? Because that’s what I really want to call you.” <br/><br/></p><p>“You’re impossible,” she splutters. <br/><br/></p><p>“Me? You’ve got that so backwards, it’s a wonder you can see where you’re going!” <br/><br/></p><p>Rey struggles to keep up with his ridiculously long legs, trailing right behind him as she tries to get ahead. <br/><br/></p><p>“Speaking of where you’re going, don’t you have another trainer to terrorize?” She jerks her head in the opposite direction. “Somewhere over there, perhaps?” <br/><br/></p><p>He expels an angry puff of air through his nose. “Don’t you have another berry tree to run into?” <br/><br/></p><p>“I didn’t run into it! It fell <em> on </em> me. And it was one berry!” <br/><br/></p><p>The two of them were so caught up in their bickering that they didn’t even realize they had left Gloom and Growlithe behind. The two Pokémon exchange a glance between them, bonding over their trainers that were too dumb to even remember to introduce themselves. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>ben really wanted rey to call him a good boy instead of growlithe😔</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Never Tell Me the Oddish</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ben tries to cling to the last remnants of his dream as hard as he can. He’s fighting a losing battle to his body’s urge to wake up, the images slipping like sand through his fingers. There was a girl, he was feeding her berries, he felt happy...<br/><br/></p><p>The first thing he sees when he cracks his eyes open is sunlight shining through the top of his tent. The rays are blinding to his sleep sensitive eyes. Letting out a deep sigh, he sits up, sleeping bag crinkling with his movements. As he’s rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, he strains his ears, listening to the sounds of Pokémon scuffling around outside. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben is exhausted. There’s no other way to put it. The wild area was not for the weak hearted. He had gotten as far as the giant’s seat before reluctantly calling it a day and setting up camp right by the shore of south lake miloch. <br/><br/></p><p>This expedition into the wild area was supposed to be an opportunity to train. A chance to work with his Pokémon one-on-one. No distractions. No worrying about fulfilling obligations or meeting expectations. When it was just him and his team, Ben truly felt at peace. Nothing could compare. <br/><br/></p><p>He unzips his tent and emerges into the crisp air of the day. Growlithe is sprawled out by the side of the tent, soaking up the early morning sunshine. The sight of him so blissed out brings a tiny smile to his face. That was another thing Ben enjoyed about this trip. Sleeping for as long as he pleased, waking up whenever his body chose to. Not being jolted awake by the shrill ring of an alarm clock. So what if sleeping on the ground wasn’t as comfortable as the luxury of his big feather bed? That’s the price he pays for some peace and quiet. <br/><br/></p><p>Out in the wild, he didn’t need to be <em> Kylo Ren. </em> He was just a trainer, allowed to roam free and connect with his Pokémon. Build back the bonds that were starting to slip back in the city. It was like he could finally breathe again.<br/><br/></p><p>Being as silent as a man his size could be, he gathers all the necessary cooking supplies, trying not to wake Growlithe. His caution would all be in vain the second his ferocious Pokémon smells the bacon he's about to cook, but it’s the thought that counts. <br/><br/></p><p>As he’s stoking the campfire, he thinks he sees some movement at the top of the cliff across the water. He’s too far away to make out any details, and whatever it is disappears before he even gets the chance to. A Mantine jumps through the surface of the water, breaking Ben’s concentration, before it dives back into the deep blue depths. The distraction causes him to burn his hand slightly, not paying attention to the growing flames from his campfire. <br/><br/></p><p>“Fuck,” he hisses, sucking the burnt finger into his mouth. <br/><br/></p><p>The sound of his swearing causes Growlithe to toss restlessly for a second, almost awoken by his carelessness. <em>That was a close call. </em> The little guy needed his sleep, Ben had been training him too hard this past week. <br/><br/></p><p>He <em> quietly </em> sets his breakfast on a pan, letting it simmer while he folds his body to the ground, sitting right along the shore. Bringing his elbows to rest on his bent knees, he loses himself in the sight and sounds of the softly lapping waves of the lake. <br/><br/></p><p>Sunlight glimmers on a school of Goldeen swimming in perfect synchronization. There’s bubbles forming just above the surface of the water to his right, indicating some type of water Pokémon just lying in wait. He should have brought his fishing rod on this expedition. Ben could honestly spend the entire day fishing out here.<br/><br/></p><p>When he was younger, he never understood how fishermen could stand for hours on end just waiting for the perfect catch. It wasn’t until his father took him out once on his boat and put a fishing rod in his hand with a gruff, “go nuts, kid,” did he understand the appeal. It was a perfect mixture of the serenity of still water combined with the anticipation of the tug on your line. <br/><br/></p><p>So Ben is really kicking himself for not having the foresight to bring his rod. <br/><br/></p><p>A Gyarados peeks out of the water, making Ben's entire body freeze. The giant Pokémon bobs above the current for a moment before descending back down. Ben releases a breath he didn’t know he was holding. <em> This </em> was what he was missing after all his time in the city. He had forgotten how beautiful nature could be. How incredible it was to be able to live in and share this world with Pokémon. <br/><br/></p><p>After all, it was hard to remember these things when you were the Pokémon Champion.</p><p><br/>Ben picks up a smooth stone and skips it across the water, watching as it bounces five times before it sinks. He could’ve been that stone. Drowning in the pressure that was his life. It was difficult growing up with a mother and uncle that were part of the elite four. <br/><br/></p><p>That type of pressure led to a lot of the bad decisions he made when he was young and impressionable. Nobody should ever have that type of familial stress growing up. Despite this, he still managed to make it out on top.</p><p><br/>Ben rips out a piece of grass and twirls it between his fingers. It was hard work defending his title. So Ben decided a much needed sabbatical was long overdue. A chance to train his Pokémon to top shape. </p><p><br/>Except he was finding it a little difficult to focus on training when a certain someone kept invading his space. <br/><br/></p><p>
  <em> Invading his thoughts too.  </em>
</p><p><br/>He was just trying to do a good deed. To set an example of how the champion should act. Come to the rescue of the person screaming in obvious distress. He’d save the girl, receive her gracious thanks, and be on his way.<br/><br/></p><p>Of <em> course </em> that didn’t pan out as smoothly as he thought it would. <br/><br/></p><p>Of course he had to run into the only person irritating enough <em> not </em> to accept his help with open arms, but rather fight it with every ounce of her being. <br/><br/></p><p>The <em> one </em> time he tries to do something nice for someone and this is what he gets. A headache disguised in the form of a rude, yet annoyingly nice to look at, girl. <br/><br/></p><p>It’s not like Ben was expecting the girl to bow down on her knees, showering him with praise while throwing flowers at his feet. And that’s really not even why he came to her rescue either. He only wanted whatever was causing her to make such a ruckus to stop. He couldn’t focus with all that noise. <br/><br/></p><p>A simple thank you would have sufficed. A ‘sorry I was making so much noise it distracted you from your training, it won’t happen again’ would’ve been preferred, but his mother always said don’t look a gift Mudsdale in the mouth. <br/><br/></p><p>So imagine his shock when the girl not only yells at him, but continues to argue with him every step of the way. <br/><br/></p><p>At least she didn’t recognize him.That’s all he needed—for some random trainer to see how unprofessional the champion was acting. It wasn’t <em> his </em> fault. The girl just had a special way of bringing out the worst in him<em><br/></em></p><p> </p><p>A knack. A <em> knack </em> for bringing out the worst in him. Not a special way. She wasn’t special. She was just some overeager trainer, in too far over her head. <br/><br/></p><p>So what if she had pretty freckles dusted all over her cheeks. Cheeks that turned an appealing shade of pink when she was angry. Big deal. Who cares if her eyes shine a little more greener when the sun hits them just right. Ben hadn’t noticed any such thing. It’s not like <em> his </em> heart started to pound when her delicate hand wrapped around his arm—the first person to touch him in years. No way. She wasn't <em> that </em> great at battling. Although, she did look pretty fierce in the midst of the battle, her teeth biting into her full bottom lip, sweat dripping down her temple… <br/><br/></p><p>But it’s not like he even noticed any of those things. Barely. She was just an overwhelming person, clouding his every senses. <br/><br/></p><p>The two of them had unfortunately been too pig-headed to travel in different directions. They had argued nonstop until they reached north lake miloch, when she had gotten distracted by a group of Bunnelbys. He took that opportunity to shake loose of her, and get back to travelling on his own. <br/><br/></p><p>So here he was. Camping in the great big outdoors, not a care in the world. Some good old fashioned peace and quiet. Only Growlithe’s snores and the crackling of his fire to keep him company. He closes his eyes and takes in a deep calming breath. <br/><br/></p><p>“Whatcha cooking neighbour?” <br/><br/></p><p>Ben lets out the greatest groan ever known to mankind. <br/><br/></p><p>All sense of peace he had achieved shatters like glass. He’s about to tell her to keep it down before she wakes Growlithe, but it’s too late. He startles awake and when he sees who woke him from his slumber, he bolts to her, shaggy fur flying everywhere.<br/><br/></p><p>This unexpected friendship was peculiar to Ben. Growlithe was usually very wary when meeting new people. He was known to bite when people tried to pet him. It was almost like some type of mental connection between him and his Pokémon. Ben often thought of punching a lot of the people he came into contact with, but at the thought of proper social etiquette, he reeled in his more primal urges and let Growlithe do the damage. </p><p><br/>So it was <em> very </em> interesting that she and his Pokémon had developed some sort of camaraderie. Something he didn’t want to think too hard about. <br/><br/></p><p>The two of them continue to roll around like children on the grass while Gloom peeks his sad little face out from behind her legs before waddling over to Ben.</p><p><br/>“Hey, Gloom,” he greets him with a sheepish tone. He felt bad about the way he laughed at him the other day. He just couldn’t help it. The little guy looked so sullen, even when he was reunited with his trainer. The laughter just exploded out of him without a second thought.</p><p><br/>He looks over to where the bane of his existence is still laughing and making all sorts of shrill cooing noises with his Pokémon. <br/><br/></p><p>Leaning in, he whispers in a conspiratorial tone to Gloom. “Is it just me, or does it sound like a pack of Yampers just rolled in?” He elbows Gloom softly in the arm in jest, but he underestimates the strength he puts behind it, knocking Gloom over. <br/><br/></p><p>“Oh shit,” he panics, quickly picking the little guy back up before his trainer sees. When Gloom is right side up again, Ben is met with a wide-eyed, fear-ridden Gloom staring back at him.<br/><br/></p><p>
  <em> So much for extending olive branches.<br/><br/></em>
</p><p>“I can <em> hear </em> you, you know.” She shoots him a menacing glare. Well, an <em> attempt </em> at a menacing glare. Really, it only makes her look adorable with her nose all scrunched up like that… </p><p><br/>He gives his head a shake, breaking him from <em> that </em> train of thought.<br/><br/></p><p>“Yeah well, it’s way too early for me to hear all of that too,” he gestures to her and Growlithe still perched on the ground. <br/><br/></p><p>She straightens up and rubs the grass stains off her knees. “I think someone’s just jealous of how much Growlithe enjoys my company.” <br/><br/></p><p>“Yeah, yeah, keep dreaming,” he mutters as he watches her peer around his campsite, immediately diving for the fresh bunch of fruit he had set out earlier. <br/><br/></p><p>He turns an unbelieving eye on her as she pops a slice of orange into her mouth, all while maintaining eye contact with him.<br/><br/></p><p>His nostrils flare. “Oh, so stealing my peace and quiet wasn’t enough for you? Now you’re stealing my fruit?” <br/><br/></p><p>Her lips quirk up. “I’m not stealing, you saw me eat it.” <br/><br/></p><p>“It’s still stealing even if I saw you do it!” he splutters, shocked that she’s even a real person. He <em> really </em> didn’t want to get into a fight this early in the morning. <br/><br/></p><p>“Says who?” She pops another slice in her mouth, not giving him a chance to answer. “I caught another Pokémon yesterday,” she continues while chewing. “Soon, I’ll have a full team. Although, Gastly has kinda disappeared on me,” she rubs her chin thoughtfully. “He’s done it before so I’m not too worried, but…” <br/><br/></p><p>Ben inhales a deep breath through his nose while she continues prattling on. He takes this time to contemplate his choices. He could stay here and be accosted by the fruit thief all morning long, <em>or </em>he could jump in the lake and swim away to freedom. Although, if he were to swim he’d have to leave behind his camping supplies. A worthy price to pay though, in order to escape what is no doubt shaping up to be a stressful day. He sighs, making his decision. <br/><br/></p><p>“... and she’s a perfect match for me and Gloom, isn’t that right Gloom?” Ben zones back in to catch her still babbling nonsense while she rummages for more fruit. <br/><br/></p><p>“You know you chew like a Snorlax—what's your rush? Please, by all means, take your time eating my food.” He gets up on his feet. “You’ve already had most of it.” <br/><br/></p><p>He thinks he sees a shadow cross her face for half a second before she’s back with the quips. <br/><br/></p><p>“Were you even listening to me? Or were you too busy thinking away in that big head of yours about what next insult to throw at me?” Her arms cross against her chest. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben gives the remaining bacon to Growlithe as he starts to pack up his camp. <br/><br/></p><p>“Hey, where are you going?” Her voice is suddenly unsure. <br/><br/></p><p>“I’ve got to get away from this girl who’s stalking me. Maybe you’ve seen her? She’s this tall,” he says while hovering his hand right by his ribs, purposefully exaggerating how much shorter she is than him. “You can usually hear her coming a mile away.” Her nose scrunches up in anger at this. “And you can't miss the full face of freckles. Well, that’s if they’re not covered in berry juice.” <br/><br/></p><p>The face in question is currently turning the loveliest shade of pink. It almost takes his breath away to see how quick to anger she gets. <em> Almost. <br/><br/></em></p><p>“Don’t flatter yourself, I’m not stalking you. We were just heading in the same direction.” Strands of her hair fly into her face as she shakes her head. “I made camp right across the bridge, I didn’t even know you were here until I woke up to the smell of bacon.” <br/><br/></p><p>He narrows his eyes at her, accepting her explanation. <em> For now. <br/><br/></em></p><p>A thought occurs to him as he’s disassembling his tent. She’s not carrying a backpack big enough to contain a tent. <br/><br/></p><p>“You don’t own a tent?” he asks casually, not taking his eyes off his task. <br/><br/></p><p>“Nope. Just me and my sleeping bag under the stars.” She rocks back and forth on her feet a little. “A tent would just slow me down, anyways.”</p><p><br/>Ben laughs silently at the thought of anything slowing <em> her </em> down. He gets the impression nothing could ever stop her from achieving anything she set her mind to. Like how she weaseled her way into his camp, eating his food, and stealing his time. <br/><br/></p><p>There’s some buried part of him that feels uneasy thinking about her sleeping so exposed at night. There are tons of dangerous Pokémon that roam the wild area. He suddenly feels <em> protective </em> over her. Which is stupid. It’s not like he could offer her to sleep in his tent. She’d just laugh at him, or call him a creep or something. There’s no way she’d ever agree to that. <em>Right?</em> Ben could feel the tips of his ears turning pink. <br/><br/></p><p>“Well this has been great,” he says in a way that signifies it has, in fact,<em> not </em> been great, “but I’ve got places to be.” After packing up his possessions, he throws on his backpack and starts to walk away.<br/><br/></p><p>“Well hold on a second,” she scrambles to get next to him. “I was thinking of crossing over the riverbank today.” She looks up at him while biting the inside of her mouth. “Is that on your way to wherever you’re going? Cause it’s not like I <em> want </em> to join you,” she adds quickly. “Nobody wants that, it’s a disaster waiting to happen. Totally not what either of us want,” her hands come up in surrender. “But if you’re going in that direction <em> anyways</em>…” <br/><br/></p><p>And that’s not what Ben had planned at all. The riverbank was not even <em> close </em>to where he was going. Today was supposed to be a day to train, maybe catch something. But when he looks in her eyes and sees something that looks like hope? Well, maybe going to the riverbank could be worked into his schedule. </p><p> </p><p>———</p><p> </p><p>“All I’m saying is some Pokémon look pretty edible,” she accentuates with a tiny shrug.</p><p><br/>They’re walking side by side, Gloom nestled in her arms, content as ever. He had let Growlithe back into his poké ball, still needing his rest after being prematurely awoken. They had managed to keep it civil so far, but it was only noon. Plenty of time to start a yelling match. <br/><br/></p><p>His talkative companion drones on. “Haven’t you ever wanted to fry up a Magikarp? Finally settle the curiosity of what those floppy little buggers taste like?” <br/><br/></p><p>“I can’t say that I have,” he responds dully.</p><p><br/>“Oh come on,” she begins exasperatedly. Like she’s offended he doesn’t share the same enthusiasm for this topic. “Haven’t any of the traders around here tried to sell you smoke-poké tail? What do you think they’re made of, <em>rice</em>?” She raises her brows sarcastically at him. “They’re Slowpoke tails! Clearly there’s a market for this sort of thing if people are selling them.” <br/><br/></p><p>“I don’t know how you can say shit like that with Gloom right there.” <br/><br/></p><p>“Oh, he’s cool with it.” She peers down at him. “Right, buddy?” <br/><br/></p><p>“Gloom,” he happily peeps in agreement. <br/><br/></p><p>“See? It’s all good.”<br/><br/></p><p>Ben looks down at her, unconvinced. “He’s just agreeing cause you’re holding him like that,” he says, waving a shaky hand at Gloom who looks like he’s one step away from ascending to a higher plane. <br/><br/></p><p>She furrows her brows. “What’s that supposed to mean?” </p><p><br/>“I just mean you could convince him to agree to anything when he’s in your arms. He looks happy.” His voice is starting to pick up speed. “You could ask him if it was okay to eat him with a side of fried potatoes and he’d say yes with a big smile plastered on his face.” <br/><br/></p><p>She's still looking up at him in confusion. Even Gloom has given Ben his undivided attention. <br/><br/></p><p>His lips flop wordlessly for a second. “What I’m trying to say, is that if I were in his spot, I’d probably agree to whatever you told me to do too.” The words are out of his mouth before he realizes the implications. He can feel his entire face turn pink. </p><p><br/>The words spill out of him in a frantic jumble. “Not that I imagine myself in your arms. That’s not what I meant. I just mean your Gloom clearly cares a lot about you, he looks really comfortable where he currently is. In your arms. Currently.”<br/><br/></p><p>
  <em> Is there a ditch somewhere around here he can bury himself in? <br/><br/></em>
</p><p>The girl hesitantly looks at him from the corner of her eye. “Right, yeah, I know what you meant.” <br/><br/></p><p>“Gloom,” Gloom offers. <br/><br/></p><p>They continue to walk in silence for a few moments, each step adding to the awkwardness he just <em> had </em> to create. He can’t take the tension anymore.<br/><br/></p><p>“I did once lick a Vanillite because I mistook it for an ice cream cone,” he confesses quietly.<br/><br/></p><p>She slowly turns her head towards him in disgust. “Oh, that is just<em> sick</em>, man.” <br/><br/></p><p>He’s about to turn to her and demand why that’s any different to anything she’s been spouting on about, when the ground suddenly gives out under them. <br/><br/></p><p>They both have enough time to share one panicked glance before they’re falling into a hidden ditch. </p><p><br/>Ben <em> really </em> needed to be careful what he wished for. <br/><br/></p><p>“Get your stupid elbow out of my side!” she growls, huffing and puffing, trying to get up.<br/><br/></p><p>They landed awkwardly, limbs tangled all sorts of unnatural ways. <br/><br/></p><p>“I will once you get your foot out of my face.” He bats her shoe away, slightly out of breath. <br/><br/></p><p>Despite a few bruises he can already feel starting to form, specifically a tiny fist shaped one on his chest he isn’t so sure was an accident, he seems to be okay.  <br/><br/></p><p>He gets to his feet and dusts off his clothes as he hears annoyance incarnate speak behind him. <br/><br/></p><p>“How’re you doing, buddy?” she sweetly inquires. <br/><br/></p><p>“I’m fine, my chest is a little sore, but—” </p><p><br/>“I’m not talking to <em> you, </em> you idiot,” she spits out, pure venom in her voice. <em> Oh,</em> she was really something when she was mad. “I was talking to Gloom.” <em> Right. <br/><br/></em></p><p>The little Pokémon chirps in reassurance, looking to be okay minus a few bent leaves and some clumps of dirt clinging to him. <br/><br/></p><p>Seeing that her Pokémon is unharmed, she turns to Ben. “What are we gonna do now?” <br/><br/></p><p>“I’m fine, thanks for asking,” he says dryly. <br/><br/></p><p>She rolls her eyes. “Get over yourself, you landed on top of me.” A single finger is pushed into his chest. “I cushioned most of your fall, you should be asking <em> me </em> if I’m fine.” <br/><br/></p><p>He scoffs. “You're obviously fine if you have the energy to yell at me.” </p><p><br/>She takes a deep breath, obviously trying her best not to start a brawl when they’re currently underground. Not the most ideal place to start throwing punches. <br/><br/></p><p>“There’s no help for it,” she sighs. “I’ll have to climb you.”<br/><br/></p><p>“Uhhh,” is all his useless brain can think to say. Maybe he hit his head on the way down. That would explain why he’s having auditory hallucinations. <br/><br/></p><p>“Stand up against the edge, I’ll get up on your shoulders.” She starts pushing him into position, grunting with the effort. “Stay still, will you?” <br/><br/></p><p>“I’m not gonna let you climb on top of me like I’m some kind of tree,” he protests while she plants her hands on his shoulders. <br/><br/></p><p>“If you don’t want to be mistaken for a tree, maybe you should shave off a few inches.” Her feet are now trying to dig into his sides, like they contain hidden footholds. <br/><br/></p><p>“You know that’s not possible!” he fires back while trying to squirm out of her hold. <br/><br/></p><p>“Says who?” she retorts, a hand coming up to grip his face. <br/><br/></p><p>“Ugh, will you stop—”<br/><br/></p><p>“Can you just keep still—”<br/><br/></p><p>“This isn’t gonna work—”</p><p><br/>“Gastly.”<br/><br/></p><p>They both freeze, their bodies tangled together as they look up at the top of the ditch. Her Gastly is floating at the entrance, a mischievous smile playing on its face. <br/><br/></p><p>“Gastly, there you are!” She disentangles herself from Ben. A strange pang of loss washes over him from her separation. “I’ve been worried sick about you. Do you think you can help us out?” <br/><br/></p><p>The Pokémon swivels its eyes back and forth, surveying the scene before him. “Gastly?” it ponders. <br/><br/></p><p>“Yes, maybe find a rope or something to pull us out?” Her hands are clenched and her face looks so eager, so ready to put her trust in her Pokémon. <br/><br/></p><p>The Gastly looks pensive for a couple of moments. Then, it closes its eyes and sticks its tongue out, blowing a big, wet raspberry at them before floating away. <br/><br/></p><p>The pathetic whine that escapes her mouth is muffled by the hand that just smacked over her face in frustration. <br/><br/></p><p>“That wouldn’t have happened if you’d just trained him better,” Ben mutters snidely.<br/><br/></p><p>Her head snaps towards him, voice acidic. “I don’t know why you sound all smug for, this only means I have to hop on that tree you call a body to get out of here now. You won’t have any dignity left by the time we’re out of here.” <br/><br/></p><p>Ben manages to hoist her and Gloom out of the ditch with <em> minimal </em> body climbing, before getting himself out. She was right about him being a tree—at least in this instance he could use his height to his advantage. <br/><br/></p><p>Just when they thought they had made it out of harm's way, a voice he thought he’d never hear again rings through the air. </p><p><br/>“Prepare for the dark side!”</p><p><br/>The girl's head shoots up from where she was looking down, brushing dirt off her body. She swivels around trying to find the source of the voice. <br/><br/></p><p>“And make it nationwide,” a second voice sings. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben groans. Two figures he knows all too well are jumping down from some trees in the distance. The giant red “E’s” painted on their shirts are just as obnoxious as he remembers as they steadily walk closer and closer. <br/><br/></p><p>“To protect star systems from fallacy,” <br/><br/></p><p>“To unite all sith within our galaxy,” </p><p><br/>Ben and the girl share shifty glances at each other through the corner of their eyes as the two figures begin to perform some type of choreographed dance in between their lines. He thinks he sees her mouth, “what the—” before she’s interrupted by the duo. <br/><br/></p><p>“To denounce the evils of force and love,”<br/><br/></p><p>“To extend our blasters to the stars above!” <br/><br/></p><p>She tugs on his sleeve and whispers, “are they still going?” </p><p><br/>“Phasma!” </p><p><br/>“Hux!”<br/><br/></p><p>“Team Empire blasts off at lightspeed,” <br/><br/></p><p>The duo strike a pose while leaning back to back. </p><p><br/>“Surrender now, or prepare to bleed.”<br/><br/></p><p>Phasma suddenly slumps out of the pose and harshly whispers, “Hux, that’s not right! We changed it to ‘surrender now or prepare to plead!’” <br/><br/></p><p>Hux breaks out of his stance. “But ‘plead’ is so mundane. Surely ‘bleed’ gets our message across more efficiently?” <br/><br/></p><p>Ben lets them bicker while he and his companion just stand off to the side, not knowing what to do. He sees her pick at some dirt underneath her nails while Gloom plops down on the ground looking like he’s about to take a nap. Well, more so than he <em>usually </em>does. <br/><br/><br/>Finally, the girl has enough and clears her throat, drawing the attention of the two criminals. “How about ‘surrender now or prepare to be bored to death by our crappy little song.’” She props her hands on her hips. “I mean honestly, you may want to chop it down a few lines. We could’ve been halfway to safety before you even got to your second stanza.” </p><p><br/>Everyone is staring at her now, blank looks of shock on their faces as she continues. <br/><br/></p><p>“But we didn’t. We stayed and listened to your mediocre jingle through to the end. I think that earns us a free pass from whatever you had planned.” She grabs Ben’s hand, making to get out of here. “Not to mention, we already figured our way out of that ditch you planted. I think we’ve embarrassed you enough today, so until next time,” she waves at them with her free hand. <br/><br/></p><p>As if it were even possible, Ben thinks his heart doubles in size. Skips a beat. Maybe multiple beats. He thinks it may even burst from his chest. <em> The hand currently wrapped around his own certainly isn’t helping.  <br/><br/></em></p><p>Hux seems to zone in on this. “My, my, <em> Ben. </em> It looks like you’ve put that talent of yours to good use. You’ve caught quite the lady.”<br/><br/></p><p>The girl freezes at the sound of his name. The first time she’s hearing it. And it’s coming from <em> Hux. <br/><br/></em></p><p>“It seems like you’ve been rather busy since you decided to turn your back on us.” He and Phasma stand back to back with their arms crossed in front of them. Ben doesn’t know whether to laugh at how absurd they look or cry at what’s yet to come. <br/><br/></p><p>The hand holding his own suddenly grips him tighter, her mouth parting slightly. <br/><br/></p><p>Hux notices. Of <em> course </em> he notices. “Oh? Did you not tell your little friend that you used to be a part of Team Empire?” <br/><br/></p><p>He and Phasma share a laugh, the sound chilling his spine. <br/><br/></p><p>“Try as hard as you like, dear Ben. There’s no running from your past. Should we tell her all the despicable things you used to get up to?” <br/><br/></p><p>Ben can’t even meet his eyes, too ashamed of what’s to come. He didn’t want her to find out like this. Who knows how she'll view him after hearing the things he’s done. She’ll look at him with such malice in her eyes. <em> More than usual. </em> He slumps his head, feeling utterly dejected, waiting for his world to come tumbling down. <br/><br/></p><p>“Of course he told me about his past,” the girl suddenly pipes up. “He’s told me everything.” She gives him a tiny nod and smile, squeezing his hand once more for good measure. <br/><br/></p><p>And it <em> really </em>can’t be healthy for the way his heart just soars out of his body at her words. He’s overcome with a swell of affection for her.</p><p><br/>“Oh, isn’t that just precious,” Phasma sneers. “I didn’t know you had it in you to find love, what with being too busy with—”<br/><br/></p><p>“Alright that’s enough!” he interrupts before Phasma can spill any more of his secrets. <em> Or embarrass him any further. </em> The girl must be disgusted by all the <em> love </em> talk. She’s probably fuming at this charade he’s forced her into. Repulsed by the thought of being with him. “Are we going to battle or continue to reminisce about the good old days?” <br/><br/></p><p>He can see the pair eyeing his full team of Pokémon clipped to his belt, deciding if it is worth it to try and battle the champion. The tension is palpable. His teeth are clenched and he’s trying to look as intimidating as possible. Standing hand in hand with the girl is making him feel invincible.<br/><br/></p><p>Before any of them can make a decision, the overeager trainer unclips a poké ball from her belt muttering, “oh, fuck this,” before throwing it to the ground.</p><p><br/>“Go Mudbray!” <br/><br/></p><p>He can’t even be mad at her impulsiveness. It’s actually kind of attractive how ready she is to battle at the drop of a dime. Ben’s actually pretty surprised as to where she even managed to catch another Pokémon so quickly. <br/><br/></p><p>“When did you catch that?” His body turns towards her, dripping in confusion.<br/><br/></p><p>The fierce look of hunger in her eyes at an impending battle drops, anger replacing it. “What do you mean? I told you this morning at breakfast.” She gives him a moment to recall. When he doesn’t respond, she rolls her eyes. “Ugh, I knew you weren’t listening to me! You had that empty look in your eyes. That’s your third most creepy look, you know.” She exaggeratedly pretends to have full body shivers. <br/><br/></p><p>That takes him aback, grimacing at her. “Hold on, <em>third</em> most creepy? What are the first two?” </p><p><br/>She opens her mouth, fully prepared to tell him exactly what she didn’t like about the types of faces he <em> apparently </em> makes, but is cut off. <br/><br/></p><p>“I hate to interrupt a lover’s quarrel, but shall we get back to the present situation?” Hux looks like he enjoyed that way too much. Ben wonders if Growlithe is feeling hungry.<em><br/><br/></em></p><p>“You don’t want to do this.” Ben keeps his voice low, trying to scare them. He thinks he maybe hears a snort coming from beside him, but ignores it. Instead, he raises his brow and jerks his head towards the row of poké balls on his hip. Almost <em> daring </em> them to try and fight him. <br/><br/></p><p>They make the right decision, backing away a few steps. “Until next time, <em> Ben,” </em> Phasma spits out. <br/><br/></p><p>Hux unveils something from his pocket. “Now you see us,” he starts.<br/><br/></p><p>“Now you don’t,” Phasma finishes. <br/><br/></p><p>A smoke bomb is thrown to the ground, shrouding the immediate area in disguise. <br/><br/></p><p>Except it doesn’t quite achieve what they intended, because a breeze blows by and carries some of the smoke away.<br/><br/></p><p>“We can still see you!” the girl shouts, free hand cupping her mouth. <br/><br/></p><p>They watch as Team Empire scurries away, trying to keep as much dignity as possible.</p><p><br/>She gives a sad, subtle shake of her head and mutters, “unbelievable.” At this point, she realizes she’s still holding onto his hand and quickly releases him. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben wipes his sweaty palm on his pants, immediately missing the contact. <br/><br/></p><p>“You did it, Mudbray! You had them so scared they didn’t even <em> try </em> to battle.” She ruffles the Pokémon’s mane, turning her head towards Ben. “<em>See, </em> I’m not such a bad trainer after all. They took one look at my Pokémon and started shaking in their boots.” She shoots him a big toothy smile. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben is so enamoured by the sight, so taken by how proud she looks, that he can’t bring himself to tell her the truth. Instead, he lets her have this little moment, not having the heart to tease her. <br/><br/></p><p>“You really used to hang out with those losers?” she asks, cocking her head to the side. <br/><br/></p><p>He nods. “Wasn’t my finest moment.” </p><p><br/>“I’ll say.”<br/><br/></p><p>He rubs the back of his neck, finding it hard to meet her eyes. “Thanks for lying for me. You didn’t have to.”<br/><br/></p><p>“Don’t get used to it,” she says through a wry smile, her eyes crinkling. <br/><br/></p><p>She picks Gloom up and cradles him in her arms. “I just have one question,” her tone is suddenly serious. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben immediately goes into panic mode. What if she asks what Phasma was about to say before he cut her off? What if she wants to know more about the kinds of things he did when he was part of Team Empire?<br/><br/></p><p>“Did <em> you </em> sing that motto every time you ran into trainers?” <br/><br/></p><p>He simultaneously groans while releasing the breath he was holding. “Don’t remind me.” </p><p><br/>Her face lights up. “So you <em> did </em> do it!” <br/><br/></p><p>“It was different when I was with them. They changed it up since then.”<br/><br/></p><p>That adorable face scrunches up. “I can’t imagine how bad it used to be if they changed it to <em> that.” </em>A devilish smile starts to form on her face. “You’ll have to recite it for me sometime.”</p><p><br/>“Absolutely not.” <br/><br/></p><p>“Oh, come on,” she whines. “I’ll only make fun of you for the rest of your life.” </p><p><br/>“That’s precisely why I won’t do it.” <br/><br/></p><p>Her laughter is interrupted by her stomach grumbling. It’s been a while since she ransacked his entire food supply this morning.<br/><br/></p><p>Ben picks an apple from a branch she would have been too short to reach, offering it to her with an extended hand. “For having my back today,” he says, surprisingly soft. <br/><br/></p><p>A tentative smile starts to bloom on her face as she reaches out to take the fruit. “Oh, so you’ve decided to share your food now?” Their fingers touch as she grasps the apple, sending shivers down his spine. <br/><br/></p><p>“Don’t get used to it,” he echoes back her same words from earlier. <br/><br/></p><p>She shakes her head and laughs, quietly muttering, “I knew I could put your height to better use.” </p><p><br/>Ben watches her take a bite of the apple, chewing slowly. </p><p><br/>She meets his eyes as she swallows, nibbling on her lip as she looks at him thoughtfully, weighing what words she wants to say next.</p><p><br/>“My name’s Rey, by the way,” she offers quietly, hesitantly. Like she just told him a secret, something precious. <br/><br/></p><p>He stares at her with half-lidded eyes, the corner of his mouth turns up fondly as he tries to keep a straight face. </p><p><br/>“Didn’t ask,” he murmurs flippantly. <br/><br/></p><p>The half-eaten apple being chucked at his head is worth it only for the blinding smile that appears on her lovely face when it bounces off his nose. </p><p>
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</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>pour one out for my boy gloom</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Do or Dewgong, There is No Try</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I blame this chapter on watching the “battle aboard the st. anne” episode before writing</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Ah, there’s nothing like having the sea breeze flowing through your hair! Isn’t that right, Gloom?” <br/><br/></p><p>Standing at the bow of the St. Supremacy deluxe cruise ship is a slightly nauseous Gloom trying his hardest not to fall overboard. Rey had offered to put him back into his poké ball, but he had refused, batting it away whenever she tried. His sad eyes were more alert than she’d ever seen, darting around their surroundings almost like he was waiting for someone to jump out at them.<br/><br/><br/>She didn’t know what had gotten into him. Sure, it was scary to be out in the middle of the sea, and there was always the chance of crashing into an Avalugg, but really, the odds of that happening were slim to none. Neither she nor Gloom had ever been on a ship before, maybe that’s why he was acting weird, still trying to get used to his sea legs. </p><p><br/>They really should be grateful for the opportunity, never in her wildest dreams did Rey think she’d ever get the chance to board a ship like this. The idea honestly hadn’t ever crossed her mind, the tickets <em> way </em> out of her price range. But the oddest thing had happened to her the other day. <br/><br/></p><p>Fresh off her win in her first gym battle, Rey had been looking for the nearest Pokémon Center when the sweetest, yet strangely familiar looking, pair of grandmas had stopped her in the street. <br/><br/></p><p>They had explained how they both couldn’t attend the trainer event on the St. Supremacy on account of their weak solar plexuses. Rey had no idea what a solar plexus was, but she wasn’t going to turn down free tickets. She gladly accepted their offering without a second thought, ignoring a frightened looking Gloom tugging on her pant leg. He was probably just intimidated by their height. Rey had never seen such tall, strong looking grandmas before. Gloom was pretty wary of tall people ever since a certain giant walked into their lives…</p><p><br/>But she pushes aside <em> that </em> particular thought as she polishes her shiny new badge with a fervor she didn’t know she possessed. <br/><br/></p><p>The badge is a vibrant emerald green cut in the shape of a leaf, an indicator that a trainer has defeated the first gym leader. Finn had been a formidable opponent, a grass type Pokémon specialist. <br/><br/></p><p>It turns out Rey was a specialist too. A <em>chaotic </em> type Pokémon specialist. Her little band of Pokémon were seriously making her rethink her life choices. Her first foray into the gym scene was definitely one she wasn’t going to forget any time soon. <br/><br/></p><p>The adrenaline is still coursing through her veins even after all these days. A cacophony of cheers are still ringing through her skull so prevalently she fears it might crack. <em>What a rush. </em>Rey had no other experiences to compare it to. The stadium had been <em> alive </em> with thousands of fanatic Pokémon enthusiasts roaring with applause. <br/><br/></p><p>Walking onto the pitch for the very first time was the most nerve-racking moment of her life. Well, the most nerve-racking moment of her life <em> thus far. </em> With one badge under her belt, she hoped to go on to challenge the rest of the gyms scattered all over the region. <br/><br/></p><p>And who knows how much more difficult the remaining gyms would be. She certainly has her work cut out for her. But that was a worry for future Rey. She would gladly put herself through that highly stressful situation a million times if it meant she was one step closer to becoming a Pokémon master.<br/><br/></p><p>As soon as her introduction with Finn had concluded, she had <em> tried </em> to throw her Gloom into action. However, the little guy wouldn’t come out from his poké ball, too spooked by the prospect of battling in front of such a rabid audience. <br/><br/></p><p>Projected on the jumbotron was the pathetic sight of her desperately whispering into his poké ball, trying to coax her reluctant Pokémon to make a much needed appearance. <br/><br/></p><p>But that was <em> totally </em> fine. That image definitely wasn’t burned into the back of her eyelids every subsequent time she closed her eyes. She wasn’t embarrassed by it. Her slight meltdown had just been broadcast to an entire arena full of people. It was fine. Water off a Psyduck’s back and all that.<br/><br/></p><p>With Gloom incapacitated with stage fright, she offered a silent prayer to whatever Pokémon god was listening before throwing her Gastly onto the pitch.<br/><br/></p><p>They had been making progress with his training, actually listening to her commands instead of just vanishing into thin air whenever he got bored. <br/><br/></p><p>So it wasn’t <em> too </em> surprising when he managed to defeat Finn’s Gossifleur relatively quickly, using the attacks they had practiced earlier in the week. <br/><br/></p><p>What <em> was </em>surprising, was that mid battle, her Gastly had evolved into Haunter. Rey actually thought he was playing another prank on her when he started glowing, convinced he was going to explode into confetti or something. </p><p><br/>Although, she really should’ve seen it coming. Where Gloom was uncomfortable with being in the spotlight, Gastly positively relished the attention. He was always looking for ways to pull focus. And evolving in front of an entire stadium surely fell under the category of an attention seeker. That trait certainly was transferred to his evolved form. Haunter whipped around the stadium, flying through the stands as the crowd went wild. <br/><br/></p><p>They didn’t expect to see an evolution when they showed up to watch a simple battle that day. The performance was enough to win them back to her side after her disastrous start. </p><p><br/>They didn’t even mind when Rey fumbled with what attacks to choose, not knowing if Haunter would be able to remember the ones Gastly had known. But she was spared of even making a decision, because Haunter took the reins, barely following any guidance or commands from her. <br/><br/></p><p>
  <em> So much for all their training.  </em>
</p><p><br/>But it didn’t matter. Haunter won the battle with a powerful hex delivered straight to Finn’s Eldegoss, and a mighty rumble from the crowd.<br/><br/></p><p>Her earlier mishap was forgotten as she strolled out of the gym, entire body encompassed in a feeling of pure ecstasy. She had done it. Beaten her first Pokémon gym. <br/><br/></p><p>As Rey reclines on a lounge chair on the St. Supremacy deck, sipping a refreshing drink, she isn’t thinking about how she walked out of the gym doors to find no one waiting for her. She isn’t thinking about the one man who had <em> said </em> he’d try and meet her, explaining how he couldn’t watch her match because he had some business to attend to in the city. <br/><br/></p><p>She’s not thinking about how he had said in that stupid, condescending, deep, certainly<em> not </em> attractive, voice, ‘You? A gym battle? I can’t wait to see how <em> that </em> turns out. Should I call the fire department now or later?’<br/><br/></p><p>Oh no, she isn’t remembering how she had waited<em> hours </em> outside the gym questioning if she had heard him right.<br/><br/></p><p>Rey takes a deep breath and watches a Wingull fly over her, scanning the unsuspecting passengers to see what kind of food it can swoop down and grab. She’s not angry. Rey had been prepared for him to leave her. Everyone always does, it was something she was used to, something she expected. <br/><br/></p><p>So why did she feel <em> hurt </em> by him? It’s not like they were friends or anything. Far from it. They were unlikely travelling companions, nothing more. It was clear he didn’t see her as anything other than a nuisance, someone he had to put up with. The business he had to attend was surely just an excuse—something made up so he didn’t have to deal with her trailing after him like a lost Poochyena anymore. <br/><br/></p><p>But she foolishly thought something had been building between them after they had foiled Team Empire together. Almost like they were getting along. So she was kind of confused as to why he would just disappear on her. <br/><br/></p><p>But hey, everything works out for a reason. If Ben hadn’t abandoned her, she wouldn’t have ran into those absolutely ripped grandmas and gotten a free vacation out of it. So who’s the lucky one in this equation, really?<br/><br/></p><p>The ship is currently hosting a convention, trainers from all sorts of regions invited to participate. Rey had never seen so much food in her life, there was no way she could ever go back to eating tiny mushrooms again. There were battles happening below deck, rooms for trainers to trade Pokémon, and a whole section of booths selling everything from technical machines to rare fossils. And Rey hasn’t even explored the entire ship yet, who knows what she’s yet to uncover. <br/><br/></p><p>Ever the proponent of free food, Rey starts to make her way to the buffet in the banquet hall. <br/><br/></p><p>She is so preoccupied with the thought of tearing into a big meal, that she doesn’t see the absolute mountain of a man barrelling around the corner, her face colliding straight into his chest with a loud <em> smack</em>, knocking her flat on her ass. Pain sears through her nose as she looks up at the body currently blocking her line of sight. <br/><br/></p><p>“You’ve got to be kidding me.” <br/><br/></p><p>Standing above her is the <em> last </em> person she wants to see right now. This is just her luck. Of course she would run into Ben on a giant hunk of metal in the middle of nowhere. <em>Literally </em> run into him. His stupid bulky body didn’t even budge an inch, whereas hers went flying, propelled with such force her teeth rattled when she hit the ground. <br/><br/></p><p>It really isn’t fair how much he takes her breath away. And not just because she ran into his brick wall of a body. Though that certainly didn’t help.<br/><br/></p><p>Rey really thought she could convince herself that she didn’t care about him. But when she looks up at his stupid face, all her feelings come rushing back to her. She <em> hates </em> how much he affects her. His eyes are just as soft as she remembers, mouth still plush and distracting. Seeing him suddenly appear before her is an all too heavy reminder that she <em> does </em> care. <br/><br/></p><p>“Give me your hat,” he practically barks at her, mouth curled into a snarl. He tosses a quick look over his shoulder then back at her, urgency painted all over his face. <br/><br/></p><p>On second thought, maybe she <em> doesn’t </em>care.<br/><br/></p><p>Before she even gets a chance to reply, he lunges for her ball cap, swiping it off her head in one swift movement. He’s a lot more agile than she thought a man his size could be. </p><p><br/>“Hey! Give that back,” she argues, scrambling to stand up. She tries to grab it from his head, but he just places his huge hand on her forehead, stilling her from reaching it. <em> How humiliating. </em>Her arms are flailing, looking for purchase, but coming up short. <br/><br/></p><p>“I’ll buy you a new one, quit your whining,” he hisses. <br/><br/></p><p>She really forgot how <em> infuriating </em> this man could be. <br/><br/></p><p>“You can’t just buy another one! It’s a one of a kind hat I got at the Pokémon League Expo!” Her voice is steadily rising in volume. “I’ll have you know, Leia Organa awarded me that very hat after I won the Bellsprout impersonation contest,” she boasts.</p><p><br/>Obviously he must’ve heard about the world famous elite four member Leia Organa by the way his eyes almost pop out of his head. Good. This jackass seems to understand how valuable this hat is to her. </p><p> </p><p>He schools his face back to his natural scowl. “Bellsprout impersonation contest?” he remarks while he tucks his black hair under the hat, exposing his usually hidden ears. She never noticed how much they stuck out from his head. They are actually kind of cute...<br/><br/></p><p>Funny. <em> Not cute. </em> They are actually kind of <em> funny. </em> Like a ginormous Buneary. They aren’t cute. There’s nothing cute about a Buneary. <br/><br/></p><p>“Don’t change the subject,” she weakly retorts, feeling hot all of a sudden. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t haul you overboard for knocking me down and stealing my hat.” <br/><br/></p><p>An unbelieving laugh falls from his lips. “I’d like to see you try.” <br/><br/></p><p>She is <em> not </em>going to think about the full body shivers that simple sentence gave her. Absolutely no way. She crosses her arms over her chest because she’s angry. Not because she needs to rub the goosebumps currently sprouting on her skin. </p><p><br/>Seeing that she isn’t going to rise to his bait, he continues.</p><p><br/>“I burn easily.” His head glances behind him as he answers.<br/><br/></p><p>“We’re not even on deck!” <br/><br/></p><p>His lips mash together in anger. “Keep your voice down,” he harshly whispers. “It’s… a really sensitive sun allergy.” The words are spoken like even <em> he </em> didn’t believe them. Rey certainly didn’t. <br/><br/></p><p>“A sun allergy?” she repeats slowly, thinking back on all the time they spent under the sun in the wild area, no mention of this so-called allergy.<br/><br/></p><p>He straightens the hat, completely ignoring her skepticism. “What's with the shirt?” <br/><br/></p><p>Her brow furrows as she looks down at the shirt she bought from one of the booths on the ship. A giant Primeape face takes up the entire length of it. She had gotten it for a good deal, two for the price of one. She didn’t understand what he meant. If he had a problem with this shirt she didn’t want to know his reaction to her Mankey one. <br/><br/></p><p>“What’s wrong with it?” </p><p><br/>“Nothing, just an interesting choice. Primeape are known to be quick to anger. Kind of fitting,” he says with a shrug. “You two seem to have that in common.” <br/><br/></p><p>Her eye twitches. Honestly, what was she thinking being sad about him leaving her? She should’ve been celebrating, ecstatic that this idiot was out of her life. Rey takes a deep breath, not wanting to make a scene with so many people around. No need to start yelling at him and prove his point. Try as she might—<br/><br/></p><p>“At least I don’t look like a Grimmsnarl on spring break!” she shouts, drawing the attention of some trainers nearby. <br/><br/></p><p>And he really does. She looks up at his massive body, strands of his dark hair spilling out under her hat despite how meticulously he tucked them in. He looks like a dead ringer for the dark fairy Pokémon. </p><p><br/>She thinks she sees his lips twitch, almost like he <em> wants </em> to laugh at her insult, but before he can do any such thing—<br/><br/></p><p>“Hey, I know you!” a voice coming from behind her shouts. She sees Ben tense in front of her before she tears her eyes away from him and comes face-to-face with a trainer she’s never seen before. “You’re the jumbotron girl!” </p><p><em><br/>Oh fuck. </em> This is just <em> fantastic. </em>This is exactly what she envisioned when she would dream of becoming a Pokémon master. People recognizing her not for her talent and skill, but for one of the most embarrassing moments of her entire life. And to do so in the middle of the sea with nowhere for her to run. </p><p><br/>Out of the corner of her eye she can see Ben’s entire body release all the tension he was holding in a heavy exhale. <em> What was his problem?<br/><br/></em></p><p>“Yeah, that’s me,” she croaks, a painful smile carved onto her face.</p><p><br/>The trainer’s eyes widen. “Wow, my friends are not gonna believe this. We couldn’t stop laughing at that match.” He looks like he’s about to burst out laughing right this second. Rey’s face fell a little. “The way you kept throwing that poké ball, but it just kept bouncing back at you,” an obnoxious snort escapes his nose, “that had us rolling!” <br/><br/></p><p>She’s not going to cry. There’s no way she’s about to do that in front of this guy. No way is she going to cry in front of Ben. She’d never hear the end of it from him if she burst into tears right now. He’d probably tease her relentlessly if that happened. Just now, she can <em> feel </em> his eyes on her, like he’s just waiting to see the waterworks.<br/><br/></p><p>“Hey, can I get a picture?” He fumbles trying to grab his camera from his jacket pocket. <br/><br/></p><p>“No you most certainly may not.” Rey tries to stand her ground and speak confidently, but it just comes out watery. She’s blinking rapidly to stall her tears. <em> This is completely mortifying</em>. </p><p><br/>The trainer falters, the outstretched arm holding his camera falls down to his side. “Oh, come on, it’ll be funny. Can you do that pose you did, you know the one where you were hunched over your poké ball?” <br/><br/></p><p>Rey licks her dry lips, her eyes trained down to the floor, fully preparing to throw all her self-respect down the drain and just give this man his picture so he’ll leave her alone. The sooner he leaves the quicker she can find an empty room to sob in.</p><p><br/>The trainer’s grubby hand is coming up to wrap around her shoulders when he abruptly halts, taking a step back from her. She’s confused for half a second before she feels the weight of another hand grasp her shoulder. A <em> huge </em>hand. </p><p><br/>“She said no,” the deep voice to her right booms.<br/><br/></p><p>
  <em> Oh. <br/><br/></em>
</p><p>His hand is so big it covers her entire shoulder, fingertips curled over her collarbone. It reminds her of when she grabbed his hand when they were trying to escape from Team Empire. It had felt so warm in her hold, her own hand completely swallowed in his clasp. The hand currently gripping her shoulder feels just as nice. It was like he made her feel strong, anchored to safety. <br/><br/></p><p>“Gloom,” Gloom menacingly mutters, bringing his tiny fists up like he’s getting ready to box this man for her. <br/><br/></p><p>“Hey take it easy, man. I was only joking,” the trainer backtracks, his hands coming up in surrender. He flinches away from Gloom who is trying his best to punch his shins. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben doesn’t let up, continuing to glare at the man until he turns heel and scurries away. <br/><br/></p><p>As soon as the trainer is out of sight, Ben hastily releases his grip on her as if he’d been burned. <em> Well, it was nice while it lasted. </em> Feeling beyond humiliated, Rey puts some much needed distance between them. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben quietly clears his throat. “Jumbotron girl?” </p><p><br/>Maybe it’s the pretentious lilt he has to his voice when he speaks sometimes. Or maybe it’s just that she’s raw from what had transpired moments earlier, that makes her lash out at him. <br/><br/></p><p>“You would’ve known what he meant if you’d been at the match,” she spits out, bitterness saturating her tone.<br/><br/></p><p>She regrets the words as soon as they leave her mouth. <em>What was she thinking? </em> They’re not even friends. It’s not like she expects him to watch every single one of her gym battles. They barely know each other. And really, who cares if he shows up or not? <em>Oh, this is just perfect. </em>He probably thinks she really <em>is </em>obsessed with him. </p><p><br/>There’s a tinge of confusion lining his pale face as he motions her over to the side, clearly wanting a little more privacy just in case she starts yelling again. <br/><br/></p><p>“I told you I had business,” he reminds her, not unkindly.<br/><br/></p><p><em> Did you really? </em> She wants to ask, but doesn’t for risk of further abasement. However, he must see the doubt written all over her face because he softens immediately.<br/><br/></p><p>“I swear I really did have things to do,” he reassures her. “To be completely honest, I didn’t think you wanted me there anyways.” His jaw works back and forth as he fixes his deep gaze on her. </p><p><br/>Well, that’s news to her. She opens and closes her mouth wordlessly before finally deciding on what to say. “I didn’t <em>not </em> want you there. I mean, it’s fine you weren’t there. You didn’t have to be there. It was pretty bad. So you didn’t miss much, so it’s completely fine,” she rambles, not making much sense. <em> Get it together, Rey. </em> “I just thought you said you’d maybe meet me afterwards outside the gym,” her voice is small.<br/><br/></p><p>“I know,” he begins gently. “My business took longer than I anticipated. By the time I got to the gym, you weren’t there.” The properly chastised look on his face is enough to prove to her that he’s telling the truth. <br/><br/></p><p>She isn’t about to tell him <em> just </em>how long she spent waiting for him. That is a secret she’d take to the grave. There is no way she’d be able to handle the pitiful look he’d surely give her.</p><p><br/>Rey looks up at him under her eyelashes and nods. “Okay, I believe you.” <br/><br/></p><p>Ben exhales. “I really am sorry, Rey.” </p><p><br/>She swallows down her instinct to gasp. This is the first time he’s said her name. Although, by the way it flows naturally off his tongue it sounds like he’s been saying it all his life. She’s really not ready to examine all these feelings that are starting to bubble to the surface as a result of her name coming from his lips.<br/><br/></p><p>“Well, it’s no use crying over spilled moomoo milk,” she utters airily, her hand flipping dismissively.<br/><br/></p><p>She watches the column of his throat bob while he swallows. Suddenly, her throat feels a little dry. <br/><br/></p><p>“Alright well, I know Gloom wanted to check out if there were any more Charmander poké dolls available below deck.” She can feel Gloom squinting at her, not happy that she’s using him as an excuse to get out of this situation.<br/><br/></p><p>Ben nods. “Right, right,” he mutters, like it’s completely believable her Gloom is in desperate need of a poké doll. He looks like he’s working up the courage to say something. “At least let me come with you,” he offers, making her eyes widen. “I mean just in case someone else hounds you for a picture,” he adds quickly. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey narrows her eyes at him. “I can take care of myself, you know.” All bark and no bite. In reality, her stomach feels like it’s filled with Butterfrees. <br/><br/></p><p>“Come on, I’ll even buy you whatever ugly shirt you want.” <br/><br/></p><p>“If you think you can bribe me with tacky Pokémon shirts,” she pauses to pick up Gloom, “you’re absolutely right.” <br/><br/></p><p>His answering smile is shy as he motions forward. “Lead the way, jumbotron girl.” Rey doesn’t even care that he’s teasing her, she’s too distracted by his dimples. <br/><br/></p><p>The two of them start to make their way below deck when Rey remembers something. <br/><br/></p><p>“Oh hey, did you hear? Apparently the champion is onboard!” She glances over to Ben who jumps slightly. He must really be a fan. “Yeah, Kyle something. He’s here for the trainer event. Maybe we’ll run into him, challenge him to a <em>proper </em> battle.” She elbows him in the side.<br/><br/></p><p>“Not likely,” he grumbles. “I heard he’s a real asshole.” </p><p> </p><p>———</p><p> </p><p>“So you thought whispering to him would be a good idea?”<br/><br/></p><p>They’re leisurely strolling side by side on a lower level of the ship, long rows of booths set up selling all sorts of goods. <br/><br/></p><p>True to his word, Ben did offer to buy her a particularly tacky shirt with a picture of a Blastoise flexing with ‘ask me about my water guns’ written underneath it. As tempting as it was, she refused.<br/><br/></p><p>However, he did insist on buying a poké doll for Gloom. They were all sold out of Charmander so he had gotten a Poliwhirl instead, the only one left in the bunch, also known as Gloom’s <em> least </em> favourite Pokémon after a bad encounter involving its hypnosis attack a few years prior. The wonky eye sewn in a little lower than normal wasn’t helping. But Ben just waved it threateningly in Gloom’s face until he took it out of fear. <br/><br/></p><p><em> “No,” </em> she starts, “I was trying to give him a pep talk. It just <em> looked </em> like I was whispering into his poké ball.”<br/><br/></p><p>Ben had managed to convince her to recap her gym debacle on the condition he wouldn’t laugh at her. He was holding up his side of the bargain so far. But she hadn’t even gotten to the Gastly fiasco yet. <br/><br/></p><p>They turn the corner and see a salesman standing over a tank of Magikarp trying to persuade a pair of trainers to purchase one. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey gives a pointed look from the tank to Ben.<br/><br/></p><p>“Don’t start,” he shakes his head at her, already knowing where her mind is going. <br/><br/></p><p>“I didn’t say anything,” Rey says defensively, Gloom bouncing in her arms as she tries to keep up with Ben’s quickened pace. She <em> did </em> tell him there was a market for this sort of thing, but he clearly didn’t want to hear it. <br/><br/></p><p>They pass a booth covered with colourful boxes chock-full of evolution stones. The woman behind the counter is performing a demonstration with an Eevee, holding a thunder stone to its body, the crowd breaking into applause as it evolves into a Jolteon.  <br/><br/></p><p>Rey looks down at Gloom still clutching the poké doll Ben had intimidated him into keeping. <em> Gloom’s pretty tough, isn’t he? </em> Her tenacious little Pokémon had won his fair share of trainer battles, but when it came down to his first gym battle, something just went wrong. Could evolving Gloom give her a better chance of beating the remaining gyms? He’d certainly be even stronger as a Vileplume, evolving him would open up a chance of learning a whole new set of abilities. <br/><br/></p><p>The only way for Gloom to evolve into Vileplume would be to use a leaf stone. She could see the green stone glistening enticingly, nestled in a box on the sales counter. Could she really do that to Gloom if it meant it would irreversibly alter him? <br/><br/></p><p>Lost in thought, she doesn’t see the look Ben is giving her until he steps into her view, concern evident on his face.<br/><br/></p><p>“Are you alright? You look like you’ve seen a Spiritomb.” <br/><br/></p><p>Rey gives her head a shake, broken from her trance. “Yeah, yeah I think I’m just hungry.”<br/><br/></p><p>“What else is new,” he mutters under his breath while running his hand through his hair. “We’d better get you something to eat before you start gnawing on the walls and end up sinking the entire ship.” <br/><br/></p><p>“We could always go back to buy that Magikarp,” she suggests, completely ignoring his comment. <br/><br/></p><p>He doesn’t even dignify her with a response, preferring to just give her a look so scathing, it renders words unnecessary. <br/><br/></p><p>After collecting an outrageous amount of food from the buffet, they make their way to the promenade deck. Even Gloom is stuck having to carry a plate comically stacked with food practically bigger than his entire body. Rey led them to a pair of seats under an awning, conscious of Ben’s ‘sun allergy,’ something he seems to completely forget about as he leans back in his seat to soak in the rays.<br/><br/></p><p>“So you didn’t finish telling me,” he takes a swig of water. “What happened after your life flashed before your eyes on the jumbotron?” <br/><br/></p><p>The hand about to shove a spring roll into her mouth pauses as she glares at him for a moment before choosing to respond. “I did what any <em> sensible </em> trainer would do,” she shrugs. “I sent out Gastly.” <br/><br/></p><p>“More like sense<em>less,” </em> he mutters.<br/><br/></p><p>“I had to! We’d been training nonstop, he was my second strongest Pokémon.” </p><p><br/>“I think I would’ve forfeited before sending Gastly out.” He crosses his stupid large arms across his chest. <br/><br/></p><p>“Well it’s not like I’m going to become a Pokémon master with <em> that </em> type of attitude,” Rey counters, choosing not to acknowledge his blatant insult to her Pokémon. “Besides, it didn’t matter, he evolved mid battle,” she adds flippantly, taking a bite of the spring roll.<br/><br/></p><p>He seems confused. “Isn’t that a good thing?” </p><p><br/>She swallows and leans her arms on the table. “It would’ve been if he didn’t just completely ignore all my commands afterwards,” she glumly recalls. “You should’ve seen him. He looked like someone let the air out of a balloon and let it loose into the crowd.” </p><p><br/>A sharp laugh erupts out of him. He tries to cover it up with a cough, but the damage is done.<br/><br/></p><p>“You swore you wouldn’t laugh!” She abruptly pushes her plate away, losing her appetite all of a sudden. <br/><br/></p><p>“Sorry, I’m sorry, I’m just imagining it,” he coughs out. Rey thinks he’s setting a record for most apologies in one day.</p><p><br/>Strangely, she finds that she doesn’t want to dump her entire glass of water on him for laughing at her. She actually has a desperate urge to join him, release all her feelings in one cathartic laugh session. But she sobers as the thought of that leaf stone creeps back into her mind.<br/><br/></p><p>They fall into a comfortable silence as they finish eating. Gloom is patting his full stomach, unable to eat anymore. She and Ben stare out at the water for a few minutes before something occurs to her.<br/><br/></p><p>“Have you ever thought of evolving your Growlithe?” she asks while chewing on her lip nervously, afraid it’s too personal of a question.<br/><br/></p><p>Ben looks caught off guard for a second before his face turns thoughtful. “The idea has crossed my mind, yeah.” He bends his arm on the table and leans his chin on his hand. “But I always circle back to the same thought. <em> Is this what Growlithe wants?” </em> His free hand unconsciously rests on top of his row of poké balls. “We can’t force our Pokémon to evolve for selfish reasons. They have to make that decision on their own.” <br/><br/></p><p>Her brow furrows. She never thought to ask if Gloom would even <em> want </em> to evolve. “I guess I’ve never looked at it like that. I think Gloom would want to evolve if it meant we’d have a better chance of winning battles, you know? It’s just—” she pauses. “It’s been Gloom and me for so long, I just couldn’t imagine him any different,” she inhales shakily. “I mean, we met when he was an Oddish, but he evolved so quickly afterwards, I barely remember what he was like back then. All my memories, all the moments we shared, they were all when he had already evolved into Gloom. We basically grew up together. We’re family.” </p><p>
  <em><br/>The only family she has. <br/><br/></em>
</p><p>Ben nods along politely. “I feel the same about Growlithe, I’ve had him since I was a child.” A tiny smile plays on his lips, lost in his memories. “You know, a lot of people always ask why the cham—” he stutters “—chap, a <em> chap </em> as old as me hasn’t evolved his Growlithe,” he quickly recovers. <br/><br/></p><p>A <em> chap? </em> Since when did Ben use words like <em> chap? </em></p><p><br/>“Right,” she says slowly, still watching him as his ears start to turn pink. She narrows her eyes at him. “How old are you anyways?” <br/><br/></p><p>As if it was possible, he turns even more red. “I just turned twenty-nine.” <br/><br/></p><p>Okay, so not <em> that </em> much older than her. Rey had gotten a late start on her Pokémon journey, having to save up before she had enough money to finance her travels. Not to mention all the medicine and poké balls she had to stock up on, and don’t even get her started on the overpriced—<br/><br/></p><p>“What’s with the face?” he interrupts her stream of thought. “Older than you expected?” <br/><br/></p><p>She recovers quickly and smirks at him. “Not at all,<em> grandpa.” </em>He rolls his eyes at her teasing. “We’re only eight years apart.”<br/><br/></p><p>He nods solemnly. “You look pretty young for a thirty-seven year old.” <br/><br/></p><p>That makes her blanch. “I <em> meant </em> I’m twenty-one, you—” His snickering robs her the chance of insulting him. But she isn’t worried. Rey is positive there would be plenty of opportunities to insult him in the near future. <br/><br/></p><p>She just sits there straight-faced watching him crack up at his own dumb joke. “Are you done yet?” Apparently not. It wasn’t <em> that </em> funny. But you couldn’t tell that from the sight of him. <br/><br/></p><p>“Keep laughing, Ben, and soon you’ll be sleeping with the Qwilfishes.” Her threat only makes him laugh harder, tears starting to pool in his eyes, obviously not taking her seriously. Well, <em>she </em> thought she was pretty intimidating. <br/><br/></p><p>His deep rumble of a laugh stirs Gloom from his food coma, blinking a couple times before waking. Rey picks up the poké doll that fell when he woke, tucking it back into his arms. She allows herself to stare fondly at the sight for a few moments as Ben settles down. <br/><br/></p><p>“You’ll figure it out,” he suddenly whispers as he watches them. <br/><br/></p><p>“What if he’s not the same?” she whispers back. “What if he wants to evolve, but turns into someone completely different? Not the Gloom I grew up with?” Pure anguish starts to creep into her voice.</p><p><br/>Ben unclips a poké ball from his belt and brings it up to the tabletop, cradling it in his hands.<br/><br/></p><p>“You know, the first Pokémon I ever caught was a Pidgey,” he says with a single raised eyebrow. “Every day Growlithe and I would go for a walk behind our house and each day, without fail, this same Pidgey would swoop down and perch on my shoulder, nuzzling her beak in my hair.” He shakes his head fondly. “So I decide to catch it, and I keep training it and training it, until one day she evolves into Pidgeotto. And guess what?”<br/><br/></p><p>Rey shrugs, unaware how closely she’s been leaning in his direction, captivated by his story. It’s the longest she’d ever heard him speak.<br/><br/></p><p>“She <em> still </em> would perch on my shoulder and nuzzle into my hair just like she used to.” He rolls the poké ball between his hands. “And you want to know something else?” He leans in as he asks.<br/><br/></p><p>Not even giving her the chance to answer, he lifts up the poké ball, releasing the Pokémon from inside. <br/><br/></p><p>The great form of a Pidgeot takes shape as it flies over to perch on Ben’s shoulder, nuzzling itself into the tiny strands of hair exposed from under her hat. <br/><br/></p><p>“She <em> still </em> does the exact same nuzzle every time,” he winces as her talons sink into his shoulder. “No matter how big she gets,” he jokes good-naturedly. <br/><br/></p><p>Pidgeot flies over to where Gloom is seated, picking at some of his untouched food. Gloom is striking up a conversation, his little arms flailing with enthusiasm at whatever they seem to be talking about.<br/><br/></p><p>“Evolution doesn’t always mean we lose who our Pokémon once were,” he explains. “My Growlithe is strong <em> despite </em> never evolving him. My Pidgeot is still the same even after <em> two </em> evolutions. If you feel like Gloom needs to evolve in order to be stronger, then by all means, <em>speak </em> with him about it.” <br/><br/></p><p>Rey is entranced by the passion in his voice.<br/><br/></p><p>“Ultimately, it’s not about evolution. It’s about the bonds you build with your Pokémon, the work you put into training and building trust with them,” he continues. “It’s like you said,” he quietly reminds her. “They’re family.” </p><p><br/>Rey is suddenly finding it hard to breathe as she holds his gaze. Her chest is heaving so hard it’s embarrassing. She couldn’t help it. Hearing his story has made her feel <em> comforted. </em> It wouldn’t be the end of the world if Gloom decides to evolve. It also wouldn’t hinder them if he decides not to. Everything would work out. Ben is making her believe that. Ben, who is currently returning her awestruck gaze wholeheartedly...<br/><br/></p><p>Too preoccupied in studying each other’s eyes, they didn’t notice Gloom and Pidgeot leaving their table. At the sound of screaming, Rey spins in her chair and almost can't believe what she’s seeing. <br/><br/></p><p>Pidgeot is carrying Gloom in her talons, flying towards a crowd of people. She’s about to turn to Ben and demand he explain just what he thinks his Pokémon is doing to her poor Gloom, but then she sees just who Pidgeot is flying to. <br/><br/></p><p>It’s the same old ladies who gave her their tickets. <br/><br/></p><p>Gloom, while still in Pidgeot’s grasp, unleashes a torrent of bullet seeds fired directly at them, making them lose their balance and tumble overboard. <br/><br/></p><p>“Gloom, no!” Rey and Ben rush to look over the railing at the two figures trying to tread water below. <br/><br/></p><p>“I don’t know why he would do something like that.” Rey is completely freaking out. “Those were the kind old ladies who gave us our free tickets.” As soon as she says it, a light bulb flicks on in her head. They gave her their tickets because they said they weren’t able to make it to the event. Yet here they are. Well, <em> there </em> they are. <br/><br/></p><p>“Free tickets?” Ben asks. “You just accepted free tickets to the most prestigious trainer event of the year from some strangers?” He is actually getting kind of annoyed. <br/><br/></p><p>Well, Rey is <em> just </em> as annoyed too. “Oh, I’m <em> sorry, </em>not all of us can afford fancy cruise tickets like <em> some </em> people,” she begins hotly. “Forgive me if I thought relieving the burden of a free vacation from some innocent, yet brawny looking, grandmas was the right thing to do.” <br/><br/></p><p>“Those aren’t just any old ladies,” he points to the shock of ginger hair uncovered from under the grey wig currently floating away. “It’s Team Empire,” he spits out like he’s chewing on something nasty.<br/><br/></p><p>Sure enough, bobbing in the water are Phasma and Hux, trying to stay afloat among the mess of their disguises. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben is <em> never </em> going to let her live this down. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey turns around to find Gloom back on solid ground, looking pleased as ever to have foiled Team Empire’s plan to steal their Pokémon. <em>So that’s why he’s been acting weird. </em> Of course her clever little Gloom knew something was wrong.<br/><br/></p><p>She crouches down and hugs her Pokémon. “That was incredible, Gloom. I’ve never seen your bullet seed attack used with such precision.” She gives him a huge smile. “I’m so proud of you, buddy.” <br/><br/></p><p>“Gloom,” he sings, pleased by her praise. <br/><br/></p><p>Maybe Rey didn’t have to evolve Gloom to stand a chance against the rest of the gyms. He <em> is </em> strong. Just the way he is. With him by her side, she knew they would be unstoppable. </p><p> </p><p>She walks over to Ben and leans over the railing beside him to laugh as she watches Team Empire swim away to safety.</p><p><br/>The sun is setting, casting the two of them in an orange glow. The fresh open sea spanning miles before them. A breeze blows by, fanning her hair out behind her. <br/><br/></p><p>She sneaks a glance over at Ben to find that he is already watching her with a look she’s never seen on his face before. <br/><br/></p><p>“What?” she asks, a tiny confused smile on her lips. <br/><br/></p><p>“Nothing,” he stares at her for a moment longer before shaking his head minutely. “Just thinking.” <br/><br/></p><p>“About what?” she presses on.<br/><br/></p><p>There’s a moment where he opens his mouth, determination crossing his face. She thinks his eyes flick down to her mouth for the quickest second, but the sun gets in her eyes before she can tell for sure. When she finally gets a better look at him, the moment has passed.<br/><br/></p><p>“Just imagining what your Bellsprout impersonation looks like.” The corner of his mouth lifts slightly. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey groans. “I should’ve <em> never </em> told you that.” <br/><br/></p><p>“If it’s anything like your Snorlax impression, I’m sure it’s spot on.” <br/><br/></p><p>She frowns. “I don’t have a Snorlax impression.” </p><p><br/>“Yeah, you do,” he keeps his face serious. “You do it every time you eat.” <br/><br/></p><p>Rey’s eye twitches. She looks over the railing, judging how much force it would take to shove him overboard. It’s his lucky day, she decides to spare him only for how helpful he had been to her today<em>. Definitely no other reason. <br/><br/></em></p><p>As she retires to her cabin for the night, Gloom snoring softly in the corner, she thinks that nobody would ever know if she chose to sleep with the Poliwhirl poké doll in her arms tonight. <br/><br/></p><p>It isn't until her head hits the pillow that she remembers that she didn’t even ask for her hat back. </p><p>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>somehow this chapter turned into “poké parents ben and rey take their son gloom to the fair” or something </p><p>it also got kinda soft??? I promise they’ll be back at each other’s throats next chapter</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. The Garbodor Will Do</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>In what world did Ben think accompanying the human embodiment of a headache on her tumultuous journey of becoming a Pokémon master would be a good idea?<br/><br/></p><p>When the St. Supremacy docked and the two of them were back on solid land, they once again found themselves in an all too familiar scenario.  <br/><br/></p><p>Rey explained to him that she planned to make her way to the next gym as soon as possible. Ben, being the idiot that he was, told her that he was heading in that direction too. In reality, Ben didn't really have a clear-cut destination in mind, but there was no way he was about to tell Rey that.<br/><br/></p><p>Thankfully, she didn’t even question the glaringly obvious coincidence. It was almost like she had given up trying to fight it when the universe seemed to stubbornly always try and bring them together.<br/><br/></p><p>In all honesty, Ben didn’t give a crap where he went next. The point of him being out here was to train his Pokémon, the location really didn’t matter. <br/><br/></p><p>So what if he decided to train them on the very same route Rey was taking? It was good land to train on. There were no ulterior motives. <br/><br/></p><p>It felt perfectly normal to wordlessly fall in step together, neither one of them objecting to the notion of travelling together anymore. <br/><br/></p><p>He even found that the conversations they had together on the St. Supremacy had somewhat allowed them to grow closer. Ben had never opened up like that before. Hell, he couldn’t remember the last time he even <em> talked </em> for that long. <br/><br/></p><p>And to his great surprise, Rey even seemed like she was <em> sad </em> that he wasn’t able to meet her after her gym match. It’s not like he could’ve told her the truth though. <br/><br/></p><p>‘Oh by the way, that elite four member you spoke about with stars in your eyes is also my mom who I was stuck spending the day with when I really wanted to drop everything to catch even the slightest glimpse of you battling.’<br/><br/></p><p>It just didn’t roll off the tongue. But she had graciously forgiven him anyways. <br/><br/></p><p>He might even go so far as to call them friends. Well, friends who spend every second of every day arguing with each other. But maybe that's what friends do. Ben didn’t really have a lot of experience in that department. </p><p><br/>So seeing as they were maybe, possibly, kind of friends, they might as well stick together while they navigate the expansive region. <br/><br/></p><p>The idea seemed to make sense at the time. <br/><br/></p><p>But standing here now opposite a red-faced Rey in the middle of nowhere while they played tug-of-war over a map, Ben would argue that the idea made no sense at all. <br/><br/></p><p>In fact, he had no clue what he was thinking when he chose to stick around with Rey. </p><p><br/>“I can’t believe I listened to you when you said to go east,” she says while tugging on the map. “If we went <em> north </em> we’d already be there by now.”</p><p><br/>Ben grips the map a little tighter. “Going north would’ve only sent us on a wild Swanna chase,” he pulls hard on the map. “Going east was the most logical thing to do.”<br/><br/></p><p>“I seriously doubt that,” she says through her teeth. “Look here,” her finger traces a path up the map. “This route goes straight through the mine, it’s the perfect shortcut.” <br/><br/></p><p>Ben does a double take at the fine print written beside her fingertip. “Does that say <em>property of the Turffield Pokémon Center</em>?” He squints his eyes and leans in to get a better look. “Did you steal this?” Incredulity laces his tone. <br/><br/></p><p>The guilty look on her face says it all. “I <em> borrowed </em> it.” She struggles to drag the map out of his view. “And besides, they didn’t say <em> not </em>to take it,” she explains, like it’s a perfectly reasonable excuse. “You’re just trying to change the subject because you know I’m right,” she flusters. </p><p><br/>She couldn’t be more wrong even if she tried. <br/><br/></p><p>“Have you ever been through that mine? It’s practically a maze, it would’ve taken us even longer trying to find our way out.” He's trying his best not to raise his voice and get angry. But, as usual, she’s making it really hard to do so. <br/><br/></p><p>“Oh, so you’re some kind of mine expert now? Pardon me, I had no idea I was in the presence of such a genius.” She gives another pull of the map for good measure. </p><p><br/>Ben takes a deep breath. “I had a hard enough time trying to navigate it my first time through, I can only imagine how you’d fare.” <br/><br/></p><p>He silently laughs at the image he conjures of her trying to scramble through the rocky depths, tripping over her own feet as she blindly tries to find her way out of the tunnels. The thought almost makes him smile before her shrill voice stops him from doing any such thing. <br/><br/></p><p>“I'd fare <em> just fine </em> because I actually know how to follow directions!” She pulls so hard on the map that the top edge starts to rip.<br/><br/></p><p>Ben huffs a disbelieving laugh while raising his eyebrows. “Yeah right, your sense of direction is so bad you couldn’t find yourself in a mirror.” <br/><br/></p><p>Her entire face scrunches in annoyance. “At least I wouldn’t break the mirror!”<br/><br/></p><p>“With your anger issues?” he scoffs. “You’d absolutely punch a mirror!” <br/><br/></p><p>“Anger issues?” she yells, gripping the map so tight it starts to crinkle. <br/><br/></p><p>A rustle from some nearby bushes startles them out of their argument, and not a second too soon, Rey looked about ready to explode. However, at the sound of the noise, all colour drains from her face. <br/><br/></p><p>The rustling intensifies as Ben tries to peer over the bush to see what’s moving around in there. There’s a sharp pain that suddenly shoots through his forearm. When he looks down, he sees Rey’s iron grip clutching his arm. She’s stood with her eyes studiously fixed on the bush, frozen except for the squeezing of her fingers on his skin. <br/><br/></p><p>If the sensation wasn’t so painful, and he wasn’t currently worried about whatever danger awaited them in the bush, he would’ve allowed himself to get lost in the feel of her smooth skin on his. </p><p><br/>The sharp sting of her nails digging into his arm puts an end to any semblance of losing himself in daydreams.</p><p><br/>The steadily increasing pressure of her hand stills as the Pokémon in the bush emerges in front of them.<br/><br/></p><p>“A Pancham!” All prior traces of fear are forgotten as she recognizes the fluffy Pokémon. <br/><br/></p><p>It’s at this point that she realizes she’s still clutching onto his forearm for dear life, quickly releasing him from her grip and jumping away from his body in surprise. <br/><br/></p><p>They hadn’t noticed how close they had been slowly drifting towards each other during their earlier argument and subsequent panic over the bush. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey lets out an awkward huff of a laugh in an attempt to brush off how scared she actually was for a moment there. But Ben could see right through her little act. He’s going to keep the fact that she was frightened by a measly Pancham in his back pocket, whipping it out for future use whenever he was in dire need to tease her. And judging by just how often his desire to tease her arose, it would probably be sometime soon—like right now. <br/><br/></p><p>But before he even opens his mouth, she quickly averts her eyes from him, blushing, suddenly finding herself singularly focused on the Pancham. She reminded him of a Skwovet that had been distracted by a particularly juicy looking berry. <br/><br/></p><p>“Oh, aren’t you just the cutest little thing,” she squeals, her voice sickly sweet. <br/><br/></p><p>The Pancham shrinks away at the piercing ring of her voice, clearly not enjoying being yelled at by her. <em> Join the club, buddy. <br/><br/></em></p><p>Rey shuffles over to where the Pokémon peeks its head back up in curiosity.<br/><br/></p><p>Ben starts to feel a little anxious dip in his belly. “Hey, be careful,” he cautions. “It looks kind of frightened.” <br/><br/></p><p>He may as well be talking to a brick wall for how little attention she pays him.<br/><br/></p><p>Rey crouches down on one knee and scoops the Pancham right up to eye level. “You’re not scared of me, are you Pancham?” She’s so close to its face their noses are almost touching. Ben wouldn’t be surprised if she started giving it butterfly kisses any second now. <br/><br/></p><p>She takes her eyes off it for a moment as she turns her head towards Ben to brag. “See, nothing to worry about. I was right,” she laughs. “As always.” <br/><br/></p><p>The second she turns back to face the little Pokémon, its tiny claw extended paw strikes her face, marring her cheek with three angry looking scratches. <br/><br/></p><p>Incoherent whimpers start to fall from her mouth as she hastily drops the Pancham before it can do any more damage.<br/><br/></p><p>“I <em> told </em> you, you should always ask before picking up a Pokémon,” he reminds her, trying not to laugh at the look on her face. “But you just love to ignore me, don’t you?”<br/><br/></p><p>“What was that?” she jokingly asks. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben exhales a breath through his nose. She really knew how to push his buttons, pretending that she wasn’t listening to him. <br/><br/></p><p>“I <em> know </em> you heard me,” he starts. “Don’t act like—”<br/><br/></p><p>“<em>Shut up,” </em> she hisses. <br/><br/></p><p>By now Ben is used to being on the receiving end of her ire, but he had never heard her sound <em> this </em> intense. <br/><br/></p><p>“I <em> meant, </em> what was that noise?” She starts to slowly retreat from the Pancham, backing up until she runs into Ben’s front. <br/><br/></p><p>It’s a testament to how spooked she is that she doesn’t even react to knocking into him.<br/><br/></p><p>Ben strains his ears. “I don’t hear anything,” he speaks quietly, panicked from how panicked she is. <br/><br/></p><p>“That rumble,” she whispers. “Look, it’s shaking the leaves.” A trembling hand points to the distance where, sure enough, the leaves of the trees were swaying in steady intervals. It was almost like something was running and shaking the ground with its heavy strides.<br/><br/></p><p>“Okay, we should probably get out of here.” He's trying to stay calm but the fear is evident in his voice. He starts to walk away but notices she’s still rooted to the spot. “Rey? You coming or—?” <br/><br/></p><p>Ben follows her wide-eyed line of sight and swallows down a scream.<br/><br/></p><p>Bounding towards them is the humongous form of a Pangoro, the thick fur covering its body is bouncing with every leap. <br/><br/></p><p>“Okay Rey, we <em> really </em>need to start—” He turns to face her mid-sentence to portray the urgency of how badly they needed to get out of here, but she’s nowhere to be found. </p><p><br/>Ben looks behind him to see her a good ten meters away, running like the wind, leaving him to become Pangoro chow. <br/><br/></p><p>
  <em> How thoughtful. <br/><br/></em>
</p><p>He doesn’t even have the time to admonish her, and it’s not like she’d even hear him, what with her having a good ten second head start on him. He’d just be talking to the dust cloud she conjured in her wake. <br/><br/></p><p>At the sound of the Pangoro’s mighty roar, Ben breaks out into a sprint, not even sparing a second glance at the ferocious Pokémon behind him.<br/><br/></p><p>He manages to catch up to Rey relatively quickly, keeping pace with her shorter strides.<br/><br/></p><p>“Why’d you have to go and make it angry?” he accuses while still running.<br/><br/></p><p>“Me? I didn’t do anything!” she shouts back breathlessly.<br/><br/></p><p>“Pangoro hate when people pick on the weak.”<br/><br/></p><p>“I wasn’t picking on it,” she explains in short pants, “I just thought it was cute.”<br/><br/></p><p>“Tell that to its mother,” he jerks his thumb over his shoulder at the raging Pangoro presumably still following them judging by the vicious snarling coming from that direction.<br/><br/></p><p>“This would’ve never happened if we went north!” Her words are spoken loud and quick, all expelled in one breath.<br/><br/></p><p>“Give it a rest, will you?” Ben vaults over a fallen tree trunk. “I don’t want the last thing I ever hear to be you complaining about directions.” <br/><br/></p><p>“Oh, I <em> promise </em> the last thing you ever hear is gonna be a lot worse than that if this Pangoro catches us.” <br/><br/></p><p>Ben didn’t doubt that at all, quickening his pace at the thought. They both turn left at the next row of trees, twigs snapping under their every step. He could still hear the Pangoro thrashing behind them, no sign of letting up. <br/><br/></p><p>“Maybe we should split up,” he suggests. <br/><br/></p><p>“Don’t you dare leave me!” she protests while snapping her frantic wide-eyed face towards him.<br/><br/></p><p>“That’s rich coming from you! You totally left me in the dust back there.” <br/><br/></p><p>“That wasn’t <em> my </em> fault, I thought you'd be smart enough to start running too.”<br/><br/></p><p>The harsh growl of the Pangoro breaks them out of their bickering, forcing them to focus on running for their lives instead of running their mouths. <br/><br/></p><p>This is getting exhausting. Ben could feel the muscles in his legs start to ache. A quick glance to his right shows a red-faced Rey huffing and puffing while trying to keep up her pace. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben tries to remember everything he knows about Pangoro and their weaknesses. But all his stupid brain can remember is the fact that they’re strong enough to snap a telephone pole in half. He gulps at the thought of him and Rey snapped like the twigs under their feet. They had to think of something to get out of this predicament—and fast.<br/><br/></p><p>“Hey Grimmsnarl, now would be a good time to put your fairy type moves to use.” She tries to laugh at her joke, but it turns into a cough because of how breathless she is. <br/><br/></p><p>This is <em> so </em> like Rey to be making jokes at a time like this. Who cares if they’re about to be eaten by a giant Pokémon? She just <em> has </em> to make fun of his appearance by comparing him to—<br/><br/></p><p>A fairy type. Pangoro are weak to fairy type attacks.</p><p><br/>Ben musters up his courage and stops in his tracks, swerving around to face the Pokémon thrashing towards him. <br/><br/></p><p>He sees Rey hesitate, probably wondering why he has a death wish all of a sudden. <br/><br/></p><p>“I was only joking, Ben! Don’t do anything stupid, c’mon.” <br/><br/></p><p>Ignoring her protests, Ben stands his ground and unclips a poké ball from his belt. <br/><br/></p><p>“Go Hatterene,” he throws his Pokémon into action. “Use charm!” <br/><br/></p><p>The tall form of Hatterene appears before him, aiming its charm attack on the advancing Pangoro. If this all goes to plan—<br/><br/></p><p>The Pangoro skids to a stop after bearing the brunt of Hatterene’s charm, suddenly overcome with a deep curiosity of Ben’s Pokémon. <br/><br/></p><p>And the Pangoro is not the only one curious.<br/><br/></p><p>“You had a Hatterene this whole time?” Rey accuses, voice dripping in annoyance. “Why didn’t you get her out <em> before </em> we started being chased?”<br/><br/></p><p>“I panicked!” he defends his, in hindsight, awful decision making. “You started running so I started running.”<br/><br/></p><p>Rey rubs a hand down the length of her face in frustration. “If I started smacking myself in the face would you do the same?” <br/><br/></p><p>Okay sure, he made a mistake, but it’s not every day you’re chased by a murderous Pangoro that thinks you hurt their child. He’d like to see how many people could keep their calm when faced with that type of situation. He didn’t see Rey whip out any of <em> her </em> Pokémon in the moment. He could only imagine what her Haunter would do in that scenario. He’d probably conjure up a pitchfork and join the Pangoro’s side of the chase. <br/><br/></p><p>Their attention is drawn back to the two Pokémon in the clearing. Pangoro is trying to figure out what Hatterene’s deal is by hunching over and sniffing around her body. <br/><br/></p><p>Finally, the Pangoro straightens, seeming to be at ease around Ben’s Pokémon. <br/><br/></p><p>She even ushers her little Pancham, who has caught up with them, forward to introduce it to Hatterene with a guttural yet jovial, “‘goro.” <br/><br/></p><p>The Pangoro forgets all about snapping Ben and Rey in half, instead too preoccupied with its newfound infatuation with Hatterene.<br/><br/></p><p>He allows a tiny smile to break through on his face, proud that his plan had worked.<br/><br/></p><p>“We did it!” Rey exclaims, her hand rising up to initiate a high five. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben frowns as he peers over at a beaming Rey. He doesn’t know anything about a ‘we,’ but he isn’t about to refuse the olive branch she’s trying to extend. The chance to touch her hand again certainly sweetens the deal. It’s almost like his hand rises of its own accord, drawn to hers like a magnet.<br/><br/></p><p>Their hands meet in a quick loud smack before Rey starts to turn away.</p><p><br/>And because Ben is the biggest idiot of all time, he decides it’s a brilliant idea to hold onto her hand for a little longer than necessary, interlocking their fingers as Rey is jerked back from his grip.<br/><br/></p><p><em> This is fine. </em> All he has to do is let go. Sure, Rey’s looking at him in confusion, but it’s cool. It’s a simple fix. Just let go of her hand. <em> Just let go, Ben. <br/><br/></em></p><p>But of course he doesn’t let go because he’s a moron. Instead his dumb brain thinks it’s a perfectly opportune time to force his big dumb mouth to thickly blurt—<br/><br/></p><p>“Soft.” <br/><br/></p><p>In his defense, she does have incredibly soft hands.<br/><br/></p><p>However, what isn’t soft, is the absolutely lethal look she’s giving him right now. </p><p>
  <em><br/>Just let go!<br/><br/></em>
</p><p>“Quick thinking, Ben,” a familiar voice rings out. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey untangles her hand from his in record speed at the sound of the voice. She leers at the woman approaching them, wary of this intruder. <br/><br/></p><p>But she doesn’t have anything to worry about, because walking towards them is the welcome sight of Professor Tico, her Croagunk waddling up beside her. <br/><br/></p><p>He sees Rey flinch and bring a hand up to her chest in shock at the appearance of the shifty looking Pokémon. He couldn’t blame her. Ben always thought Rose’s Croagunk was a little creepy. <br/><br/></p><p>Despite her interesting choice in Pokémon, Rose was the smartest Pokémon professor Ben had ever known. He felt a little guilty not coming by to visit her ever since he won his championship battle. But Rose still looks just like he remembers. Her hair still curls up at the ends just like her smile curls up at the sight of the collection of Pokémon before her. <br/><br/></p><p>She looks torn between the professorial impulse of studying the Pangoro and Hatterene charm situation or walking over to greet Ben. She only hesitates for a second before she bounds over to Ben with her signature bubbly smile before wrapping him up in a hug.<br/><br/></p><p>“It’s been too long since I’ve seen you, Ben,” she remarks as she pulls away from him. “Just because you’re the cham—”<br/><br/></p><p>“Rose!” Ben hastily interrupts before she can finish <em> that </em> sentence. He really wished he had Hatterene’s ability to communicate telepathically in this moment so he could explain the situation to Rose. <br/><br/></p><p>But his panic must be easy to read all over his face because Rose seems to get the message loud and clear. She turns to a clearly lost Rey with a smile plastered on her face. <br/><br/></p><p>“Rey, this is Professor Rose Tico,” Ben introduces. She offers her hand for Rey to shake. “And Rose, this is Rey…” <br/><br/></p><p>“Just Rey,” she supplies quickly, shaking Rose’s hand. The way her face falls a little is subtle, but Ben notices it before she schools it back to wariness.<br/><br/></p><p>“You aren’t going to start breaking out in song and dance, are you?” Rey asks through narrowed eyes.<br/><br/></p><p>A confused Rose looks to Ben for help.<br/><br/></p><p>“Team Empire,” he tells her.<br/><br/></p><p>Understanding dawns on the Professor’s face. “Ah, well I won’t subject you to my singing voice, but Ben on the other hand,” she pats him on the arm, “has a <em>lovely </em> singing voice.” Rose turns towards Rey. “He’ll have to show you sometime.” <br/><br/></p><p>He can feel rather than see the devilish smirk slowly spreading on Rey’s face. It’s like mischief radiates off her very being. Rose has no idea the hell she’s just unleashed on him. Or maybe she knows exactly what she’s doing, judging by the slight twinkle dancing in her eyes. Why did it seem like everyone was out to get him?<br/><br/></p><p>“As for Team Empire,” Rose stops him from spiralling any further. “The last I heard they were seen washed up near the Circhester shore.” <br/><br/></p><p>Ben scans their surroundings at this new piece of information. Circhester is pretty far from here, but still a little too close for comfort. “Paige told you this?” <br/><br/></p><p>Rose brightens at the mention of her sister. “Of course she did. She wouldn’t be a very good gym leader if she didn’t look out for any threats to her city.”<br/><br/></p><p>“Your sister’s a gym leader?” Rey perks up.<br/><br/></p><p>“She sure is. Paige is the strongest ice Pokémon specialist in the region,” admiration colours her tone.<br/><br/></p><p>“I’m training to become a Pokémon master myself,” Rey says with determination shining in her eyes. “I hope one day I get to challenge your sister.” <br/><br/></p><p>“Well, if you hang around this one long enough,” she gestures to Ben with a chuckle, “I’m sure your badge collection will start to rival his.” <br/><br/></p><p>Rey’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise. “I didn’t know you had any badges.” <br/><br/></p><p><em> Thanks Rose. </em> “Oh yeah, just a few,” he mumbles, barely audible. <br/><br/></p><p>The last thing Ben wants to do is lie to Rey. Well, lie any <em> more </em> to Rey. She still doesn’t know he’s the current champion of the Pokémon league. He honestly didn’t know what was stopping him from telling her. The right moment just hadn’t come up yet. <br/><br/></p><p>He speaks up before Rey could read too far into the guilty look on his face. <br/><br/></p><p>“What’re you doing out here anyways, Rose?” he smoothly changes the subject. “It’s a long way from your lab.” <br/><br/></p><p>As always, she jumps at the opportunity to gush about her work. <br/><br/></p><p>“You haven’t heard? I’m tracking the pattern of a legendary Pokémon that’s been spotted in the region.” <br/><br/></p><p>Ben didn’t really put a lot of belief into legendary Pokémon, but he was raised right. So he keeps his mouth shut and opinions to himself as Rose continues. <br/><br/></p><p>“I was studying the Pokémon in the area when I saw you two running and screaming.” She looks over to a sheepish Rey. “I’m impressed you both could argue even when out of breath like that.” <br/><br/></p><p>Rey shoots him a quick glare before returning her attention back to Rose. <br/><br/></p><p>“Usually Pokémon become very restless when a legendary is near.” She watches as the Pangoro and Pancham start to make their goodbyes to Hatterene. “And according to my extensive research, it should be making an appearance here tomorrow morning.” </p><p> </p><p>“Tomorrow morning?” Rey squeaks.<br/><br/></p><p>“Yeah, Ditto, she just said that,” Ben mutters, always taking whatever chance he could to tease her. He didn’t even put any hate behind his words, he just liked riling her up. <br/><br/></p><p>And he achieves his goal because she looks like she wants to snap him in half just like that Pangoro did. Although, there was no way he was going to compare her to a Pangoro to her face. He wasn’t<em> that </em> careless with his life. <br/><br/></p><p>Rose chimes in before either of them could be ripped in half. “You two <em> have </em>to camp out here overnight! It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity, you know.” <br/><br/></p><p>He’s about to decline, not wanting to stick around for the inevitable disappointment when the legendary doesn’t show up. But his resolve softens as he looks at the eagerness on Rey’s face. <br/><br/></p><p>He <em> really </em>hopes he doesn’t regret this. </p><p>
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</p><p>———</p><p> </p><p>Ben is starting to regret this. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey has already burst out into giggles at learning the legendary Pokémon’s name is Ho-Oh. <br/><br/></p><p>“Ho-Oh?” she repeats as her giggles die down. <br/><br/></p><p>Rose, bless her, doesn't take offense to Rey’s brashness. Instead, she just patiently waits for her to let it all out of her system.<br/><br/></p><p>The three of them, along with some of their Pokémon, are sitting around the campfire roasting Rose’s family pack of marshmallows. He has to admit that it’s a cozy scene. Darkness had fallen, the fire casting them all in an orange glow as Rose told stories of the legendary Pokémon. <br/><br/></p><p>To his left, Rey pops a toasted marshmallow into Gloom’s mouth after blowing on it, making sure it wasn’t too hot for him. She didn’t want him to roast his own marshmallows just in case he got too close to the fire. <br/><br/></p><p>Gloom had also adamantly refused to sit anywhere near Ben, deciding to sit on the opposite side of Rey so she could act like a barrier between them. Ben was convinced Gloom thought he would accidently knock him into the fire. Which was ridiculous. He had only knocked Gloom over <em> one </em> time and it was an accident for fuck’s sake.<br/><br/></p><p>Ben had refused to partake in the childish act of marshmallow roasting. He was an adult thank you very much. The sight of Rey laughing with gooey melted marshmallow stuck near the corners of her mouth is enough to turn him off the temptation. <br/><br/></p><p>Although for some bizarre reason he couldn’t seem to take his eyes off the way her tongue darts out to lick her mouth clean… <br/><br/></p><p>“I know it’s a pretty silly name,” Rose breaks him out of his trance. “But it really is such a fascinating Pokémon.” <br/><br/></p><p>A bird that could make rainbows and resurrect the dead? Yeah right. The only thing fascinating about it is how it tricked people into thinking it was real.<br/><br/></p><p>Rose continues. “You know it’s said that the people who are lucky enough to witness it are promised eternal happiness?” <br/><br/></p><p>Rey stuffs another marshmallow in her mouth and freezes. “Really?” The word is muffled, but her wide-eyed stare conveys just how awed she is.<br/><br/></p><p>Rose nods. “And legend says it flies through the world’s skies in search of a trainer with a pure heart.” <br/><br/></p><p>“I guess you’ve got nothing to worry about then, Rey,” he shrugs at her. “There’s nothing <em> pure </em> about you.”<br/><br/></p><p>She winds her arm back to throw a marshmallow at him, proving his point, when Croagunk hops up and swipes it from her hand.<br/><br/></p><p>“Hey! Come back here.” She jumps from her seat and chases after him, leaving Ben and Rose alone by the fire.<br/><br/></p><p>“She’s a feisty one, huh?” Rose says through a smile, watching as Rey starts bouncing back and forth on the balls of her feet like a boxer would. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben nods. He didn’t <em> think </em> she would start boxing a Croagunk over a stolen marshmallow, but he honestly wouldn’t put it past her. <br/><br/></p><p>“She kind of reminds me of you when you first went on your Pokémon journey,” Rose remarks as she keeps her eyes on Rey. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben also keeps his eyes on Rey, smiling at the way she antagonizes the Croagunk. “Put ’em up, you oversized frog,” she cries while bringing her fists up to her face.<br/><br/></p><p>Now that he thinks about it, Ben <em> can </em> see a little bit of himself in her. Rey was full of determination and eagerness, just like he was when he started his journey. Sure, she may be impulsive and impertinent at times, but who isn’t? <br/><br/></p><p>As he watches Rey trip trying to grab the marshmallow, Croagunk jumping on her fallen body in victory, he thinks that this trainer may have what it takes to go all the way. <br/><br/></p><p>His face clouds over at the thought of her making it to the end of the Pokémon League, only to realize she has to battle Ben—the person she’s been sharing her journey with—to win the championship. <br/><br/></p><p>Ever perceptive, Rose notices his mood shift. “Why haven’t you told her?” <br/><br/></p><p>Never in his life did he not want the burden of being the champion as much as he did in this moment. He didn’t want to think about what Rey’s reaction was going to be when she found out. <br/><br/></p><p>“I don’t know,” he lamely replies. “I didn’t mean to at first, it just never came up. And now it’s gotten way out of hand.” <br/><br/></p><p>Croagunk has now gotten Rey into a headlock as she struggles in his hold. “I’m gonna pop those inflatable cheeks!” she splutters. <br/><br/></p><p>“You can’t keep running forever, Ben,” Rose gently reminds him. “Your duties as champion can’t be neglected for much longer.” <br/><br/></p><p><em> Screw being the champion. </em> Ben has felt more emotion in his little time spent with Rey than he ever did in defending his title. <br/><br/></p><p>He <em> wants </em> to keep running, he <em> wants </em> to neglect his responsibilities. The urge to continue running around the world with her in blissful ignorance is overwhelming. She really just makes him feel <em> alive. <br/><br/></em></p><p>The headlock has now turned into an ankle lock as Rey pounds her fists on the ground to no avail. <br/><br/></p><p>“Give him your Bellsprout impression!” Ben shouts through his cupped hands. “That’ll scare him off.” <br/><br/></p><p>“Don’t make me come over there!” she shouts back at Ben, like she’s completely serious and not currently incapacitated by a Croagunk. <br/><br/></p><p>He really can’t help the full blown smile that spreads across his face. <br/><br/></p><p>“You need to tell her, Ben,” Rose gives him a knowing look. “Women always find out the truth.”<br/><br/></p><p>Rose claps him on the shoulder while standing up and stretching her entire body. “Well, I’m heading to bed. Wouldn’t want to sleep in and miss the biggest moment of my career.” She frowns as she looks up to the sky. “Might rain tonight, hopefully those clouds clear up by morning.”</p><p><br/>Rose calls Croagunk over before he does any serious damage to Rey, the two of them making their way to their tent.<br/><br/></p><p>A thoroughly frazzled Rey plonks down next to Ben in a slump.<br/><br/></p><p>“I'd call that a tie,” she brags while snatching another marshmallow into her mouth.<br/><br/></p><p>“Really?” Ben raises a single skeptical eyebrow. “Cause I’d call that an embarrassment.” <br/><br/></p><p>“Everyone’s a critic,” she mutters while brushing the dirt off her clothes. <br/><br/></p><p>A drop of rain splatters on Ben’s cheek, just like Rose had predicted. They had been lucky enough so far in their travels where it had only rained minimally during the day. But they certainly never had to deal with rain during the night.<br/><br/></p><p>So as Ben looks up at the clouds and back at Rey, he throws all caution to the wind and prays she doesn’t laugh at him for what he’s about to suggest.<br/><br/></p><p>“You could sleep in my tent tonight if you want,” he swallows thickly, scared to see her reaction.<br/><br/></p><p>She freezes and slowly turns to face him with a slight frown on her face. “I have my sleeping bag.” <br/><br/></p><p>Another droplet falls on his forehead. “Yeah no, I know, but it’s probably going to pour and I have my waterproof cover and there’s enough room for the both of us...” <br/><br/></p><p>Ben can see her mouth fall open then snap shut as she thinks about it. This is so stupid. What was he thinking asking her something like that? She’s going to laugh and try to throw him in the campfire for being so forward. Another drop hits him in the eye. Maybe he can tell her he’s just joking, make fun of her for thinking he was serious before she can make fun of him. Yes that’s the plan, save himself from further embarrassment—<br/><br/></p><p>“Okay.” <br/><br/></p><p>Such a simple word, but it has the power to pull him out of his downward spiral. “Okay?” <br/><br/></p><p>She nods. There’s no laughing, no teasing. Has he got water in his ears? Did she really agree to sleep in his tent? Rey is going to sleep in his tent. That’s cool, Ben could be cool. His heart isn’t beating a mile a minute. No way. <br/><br/></p><p>“Mind you, I’m only agreeing because I don’t want Gloom to be shivering the entire night,” she acquiesces. <br/><br/></p><p>“G–Gloom?” he stutters. What did Gloom have to do with anything? </p><p> </p><p>———</p><p> </p><p>“All comfy, Gloom?” <br/><br/></p><p>“Gloom,” he serenely replies.<br/><br/></p><p>No one asks <em> Ben </em> if he’s comfy. But the answer would be absolutely not. His tent had enough room for two people just fine, but throw a wiggly Pokémon into the mix and it’s suddenly feeling a little cramped in here. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey had explained how Gloom hated sleeping in his poké ball, preferring to stay as close as possible to her when they slept. Some type of protective instinct he had towards his trainer.<br/><br/></p><p>So he had somehow weaseled his way in between Ben and Rey who were sleeping in their respective sleeping bags. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben lays on his back with his arms crossed under his head as he listens to the pitter-patter of rain hitting the tent. There’s something uncomfortably digging into his side, and when he reaches to grab whatever it is, he is surprised to find the poké doll he had bought for Gloom back on the ship. <br/><br/></p><p>“He likes sleeping with it,” Rey explains quietly. “Keeps his nightmares away.”</p><p><br/>“Oh,” Ben mumbles, gingerly placing the doll by Gloom’s already snoring head. <br/><br/></p><p>His eyes are <em> not </em> watering at the thought of Gloom using something Ben bought him to soothe him during the night. That would be preposterous. He furiously rubs his eye because there’s an eyelash poking into it. No other reason.<br/><br/></p><p>“Has he always had nightmares?” he asks into the dark. <br/><br/></p><p>He can hear her swallow. “Ever since I can remember,” she whispers. “We spent a lot of time sleeping outside when we were younger, I’d imagine that’s why he gets scared at night. There were a lot of Pokémon out there that we had to be wary of.” <br/><br/></p><p>Ben tilts his head to the side, trying to make out the outline of her face in the dark. “And your parents were okay with you doing that?”<br/><br/></p><p>Minutes pass and Ben thinks she may have fallen asleep before she says, “I didn’t know my parents.” <br/><br/></p><p>It’s so quiet in the tent, Gloom’s snores are the only noise cutting through the silence. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben isn’t so sure he’s even breathing anymore.<br/><br/></p><p>“They left me with my uncle when I was a baby and disappeared,” she says, spoken like a hushed confession. <br/><br/></p><p>“They didn’t deserve you.” Ben is taken aback by the passion in his voice. He didn’t mean to speak that intensely, but it had just burst out of him. <br/><br/></p><p>A bitter laugh leaves her lips, short and harsh. “Yeah, right. They got rid of me like I was nothing,” she shakily mutters. “Sometimes—” she sucks in a breath and tries again. “Sometimes I think they were right to leave me. When I look at how stunted I am compared to everyone else. I’m so behind on my dreams, sometimes I think I’m never going to be able to reach them,” she says weakly, spilling her heart out to him. <br/><br/></p><p>The crinkling of his sleeping bag is harsh in the silence of the night as he rolls over on his side to face her. “You can’t think that, Rey. I mean it. Look at you. You’ve already accomplished more than anything they could ever hope to achieve.” <br/><br/></p><p>“Do you really believe that?” He can hear her shift slightly to look at him.<br/><br/></p><p>“Absolutely,” he says. And he really does. “You've already overcome so much. You’ve beaten one gym. I know you’ll give the rest of them a run for their money. I <em> know </em> it,” he vehemently reassures her. “You’re stronger than you know.” <br/><br/></p><p>A silence falls over them once again. Ben had meant everything he said. He had never met such a determined trainer before—there was no doubt in his mind that Rey would go on to do great things. <br/><br/></p><p>Finally, Rey speaks up. “You know, I didn’t think you had it in you to be nice.” <br/><br/></p><p>Ben rolls his eyes, even though she can’t see him, while tossing over onto his back. “A simple thank you would suffice.”<br/><br/></p><p>“There’s the Ben I know,” she laughs softly. A few seconds pass before he hears her quietly whisper, “thank you.” <br/><br/></p><p>“Goodnight, Rey.”</p><p><br/>“Night, Ben.”<br/><br/></p><p>He settles into a more snug position, exhaustion from the day’s events finally catching up to him. He’s just about to drift off when—<br/><br/></p><p>“Hey, Ben,” she whispers. </p><p><br/>“Yeah?” he groggily replies.<br/><br/></p><p>“Can you sing me a lullaby?”<br/><br/></p><p><em> He was going to kill Rose. “</em>Fuck off.”<br/><br/></p><p>“Oh come on, Rose said you had a <em> lovely </em>singing voice. Let’s put it to good use.” </p><p><br/>“How’s your face?” He changes the subject. “Have you picked up a Pancham recently?” <br/><br/></p><p>“Shut up, Ben.”<br/><br/></p><p>“No seriously, does your face hurt? Cause it’s killing me.”<br/><br/></p><p>“What are you, sixty-five? Who makes jokes like that anymore?”<br/><br/></p><p><em> Ouch. </em>He didn’t think it was <em> that </em> old of a joke.<br/><br/></p><p>“Go to bed, Rey.” <br/><br/></p><p>“Yeah, yeah I’m going, grandpa, don’t let your dentures fall out.”<br/><br/></p><p>Despite her bickering, and despite being cramped like a sardine tin, he manages to get some sleep. <br/><br/></p><p>When morning finally comes and he cracks his eyes open, he swallows down a gasp at the fact that he and Rey had unconsciously rolled over to each other during the night. Gloom had somehow gotten down by their feet as the two of them lay on their sides facing each other.<br/><br/></p><p>He’s really not prepared for just how <em>beautiful </em> she looks. The sight of Rey’s peaceful face as she sleeps really does take his breath away. She has her hands folded under her head, making her cheek look adorably squished. Even the little bit of drool collecting near the corner of her mouth is endearing. <br/><br/></p><p>As he greedily takes his fill of her face, he thinks he would follow her to the ends of the world if she’d let him.<br/><br/></p><p>“I really hope you’re the type of person who sleeps with their eyes open, otherwise I’m about to headbutt you.”<br/><br/></p><p>Lost in his thoughts, he didn’t realize Rey had woken up to see him blatantly staring at her. The sound of her voice startles him, making him jump, resulting in his leg lightly kicking Gloom awake.<br/><br/></p><p>“Watch where those tree trunks you call legs are going,” she admonishes him, trying to sit up in her sleeping bag to reach Gloom.<br/><br/></p><p>“You startled me.” The intimacy they had built during the night vanishes completely. <br/><br/></p><p><em> “I </em> startled <em> you?” </em> She looks unbelieving. “You were the one watching me sleep!”<br/><br/></p><p>Ben scoffs, even though she’s right. “I wasn’t watching you sle—” He abruptly clasps a hand over his nose. “What is that smell?” His voice comes out nasally.<br/><br/></p><p>They both look to the other end of the tent where Gloom has started to release a foul odour from his head, clearly in distress from the way he was woken up. <br/><br/></p><p>“You scared him!” Rey frantically tries to unzip her sleeping bag in order to calm him down.<br/><br/></p><p>Ben doesn’t really care about any of that right now, he just wants to get the hell out of this tent. Unfortunately, this tent isn’t big enough for the three of them to be flailing about.<br/><br/></p><p>“Ow, watch where you’re going,” Rey yells as he crawls on her foot. <br/><br/></p><p>“I would if you’d get out of the way.” He’s still got his hand over his nose, trying to reach the front of the tent between Rey and Gloom.<br/><br/></p><p>“Gloom,” Gloom says as he releases even more of his scent.<br/><br/></p><p>Rey claps a hand over her lower face. “Oh fuck, move Ben!” <br/><br/></p><p>She crawls over to the front of the tent along with Ben, the two of them fumbling with the zipper.<br/><br/></p><p>“Step aside,” he growls.<br/><br/></p><p>“Where?” she argues. “There’s nowhere to go!”<br/><br/></p><p>They’re on their knees, shoulder to shoulder, practically on top of each other as their arms tangle while trying to open the tent.<br/><br/></p><p>“It’s getting even worse,” he whines.<br/><br/></p><p>“Don’t make fun of him!” <br/><br/></p><p>“It’s not making fun if it’s the truth!”<br/><br/></p><p>Ben <em> finally </em> gets a good grip on the zipper after shoving Rey to the side with his body. He unzips the tent, the two of them spilling out into the fresh air together.<br/><br/></p><p>They’re still on their knees at the opening of the tent, sucking in deep lungfuls of air. Rey looks like she’s about to tear his head off for pushing her, but something in her peripheral vision seems to distract her.<br/><br/></p><p>Ben follows her eyes to the sky and is astonished at what he sees.<br/><br/></p><p>Against all odds, flying through the sky is none other than Ho-Oh, its colourful wings leaving a rainbow trail in its path. His jaw drops as he watches, entranced by the legendary Pokémon flying past them, the sunrise glittering off the facets of its body. <br/><br/></p><p>It’s gone before he knows it. Disappearing in the clouds like it was never here. His jaw is still hanging open as he turns his head to an equally stunned Rey.<br/><br/></p><p>Their eyes are searching each other, like they were trying to make sure they weren’t dreaming. <br/><br/></p><p>When he looks at the sunlight twinkling in her eyes as she softly smiles at him, Ben truly believes that he has just been promised eternal happiness. </p><p>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>me: write shorter chapters </p><p>also me: 6900 words in 🙃</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. It’s a Trapinch!</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Today is going to be a good day<em>,</em> <em>dammit. </em> <br/><br/></p><p>The sun is shining, the Swellows are singing, and there is nothing that can bring her down. The confidence coursing through her veins feels almost palpable. <br/><br/></p><p>“Mudbray,” she pats her fuzzy little head, “you’re gonna beat this gym.” <br/><br/></p><p>Rey places her hand on her hip and flashes a big reassuring smile for her Pokémon. <br/><br/></p><p>“Mudbray couldn’t beat an egg.”<br/><br/></p><p>Rey’s eye twitches. <em> Happy thoughts. </em> Nobody is going to ruin the good day she’s about to have. No matter how many lame dad jokes they insist on making.<br/><br/></p><p>Rey quickly puts her hands over her Pokémon’s ears to shield her from listening to the lies spewing from Ben’s mouth. <br/><br/></p><p>“If you don’t have anything nice to say,” she begins while Mudbray’s ears start to twitch at the contact, “don’t say anything at all.” <br/><br/></p><p>By the outskirts of Hulbury, Ben is lounging on a flat rock with his elbows lazily perched on his knees, fixing a critical eye on Rey’s <em> attempt </em> to train her Pokémon for her upcoming gym battle. <br/><br/></p><p>She didn’t <em> ask </em> for snide comments on her battling style, but lately it seems like Ben was solely born to annoy the ever-loving crap out of her. <br/><br/></p><p>“I think you should follow your own advice,” he says while not looking very impressed. “You can’t get through a sentence without insulting me.” <br/><br/></p><p>Okay so maybe she walked right into that one. She couldn’t help it. It was just so easy to make fun of him. <br/><br/></p><p>Insulting him prevented her from saying anything embarrassing—like how strong his thick legs look when he flexes their position over the rock he’s sitting on. Or how broad his shoulders look when he’s hunched over like that, wondering if she could even manage to wrap her arms around them. <br/><br/></p><p>It’s so much easier to just compare him to a tree, watch his face turn red, and call it a day.<br/><br/></p><p>Rey chooses to not deign him with a response, even though he clearly is in the right. But there is no way in hell she’s going to admit that. He’d hold that little nugget of concession over her head for the end of time. </p><p><br/>“Don’t worry, Mudbray, he just means that…literally.” Rey is <em> really </em> trying her best to console her Pokémon—“You can’t beat an egg because of...your hooves.”—No matter how ridiculous she sounds. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey smooths a comforting hand down Mudbray’s mane and shoots the most intimidating look she can summon at Ben.<br/><br/></p><p>“Isn’t that what you meant<em>, Ben?” </em>she says through her teeth. <br/><br/></p><p>The emotions war on his face as he decides on whether to double down on his initial insult or to placate her by playing along. <br/><br/></p><p>The look she’s throwing him must really be terrifying, because he chooses to back down.<br/><br/></p><p>“Yeah,” he draws the word out slowly, fully mocking her for how silly her explanation is. “That’s <em> exactly </em> what I meant.” <br/><br/></p><p>Her murderous glare swiftly transforms into a beatific smile as Mudbray swivels her head towards Rey.  <br/><br/></p><p>“See? The big grump was just being funny.” She leans in and covers her mouth with her hand as she loudly whispers in Mudbray’s ear. “Well<em>, trying </em> to be funny.” <br/><br/></p><p>Rey can see Ben roll his eyes at her so she decides to turn up the antics.<br/><br/></p><p>“What was that, Mudbray?” Rey exaggeratedly cups her ear, pretending that Mudbray is speaking to her. “You think Ben is about as funny as Durants in your pants?” <br/><br/></p><p>She sneaks a glance at Ben who is virtually blending into the rock he’s sitting on, judging by the stony expression he’s throwing her way. <br/><br/></p><p>“Don’t give <em> me </em> that look.” Her hands come up in surrender, trying not to laugh. “It was Mudbray who said it.” <br/><br/></p><p>Ben shakes his head and jumps down from the rock. Rey tries and fails not to stare at the way his powerful thighs cut through the air. “Are you actually going to train or just play around all day?” <br/><br/></p><p>He’s <em> seriously </em> getting on her last nerve. <br/><br/></p><p>“<em>Are you actually going to train or just play around all day?” </em>Rey dramatically lowers her voice to imitate Ben’s deep timbre. <br/><br/></p><p>“Really?” His face does <em> not </em> look amused.<br/><br/></p><p>Which only makes her want to keep going. “<em>Really?” </em>she repeats in ‘his’ voice.<br/><br/></p><p>“You sound nothing like me.”<br/><br/></p><p>Okay, even she can admit that she can’t get it <em> exactly </em> right. But that doesn’t stop her from trying. <br/><br/></p><p>“Oh, I’m Ben, I hate fun,” she continues, sticking out her chest to resemble his. “I can’t laugh too hard at Rey’s jokes because I might fall down and not be able to get back up.”<br/><br/></p><p>She doesn’t know when exactly her impression starts to veer into old man territory, but it felt natural.<br/><br/></p><p>“I don’t know why you've got it stuck in your head that I’m geriatric.” He narrows his eyes at her.<br/><br/></p><p>There’s about a million answers she could provide for him, but spares him the embarrassment and settles on continuing her impression.<br/><br/></p><p>“I’m Ben, I strictly make jokes that were popular in the fifties. The<em> eighteen-</em>fifties, that is. Does anyone want a piece of werther’s original that I keep nice and warm in my pocket?”<br/><br/></p><p>She couldn’t even keep a straight face at that last one, the end of the impression tapering off in a fit of giggles. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben looks unamused as he watches her snort with mirth at her own joke.<br/><br/></p><p>“You really know how to make me feel old,” he grumbles, seeming to be genuinely upset with her impression.<br/><br/></p><p>Her laughter dies down as she watches his face fall the tiniest bit. <br/><br/></p><p>“Hey,” she softly says while rubbing a soothing hand on his bicep. That gets his attention, turning his face downwards to look at her contrite expression. Rey stares at him with sincerity shining in her eyes. “You <em> are </em> old.” <br/><br/></p><p>He shrugs her hand off his arm with a groan as she breaks out into another bout of laughter. It’s just too easy to tease him. <br/><br/></p><p>“I’m so—sor—sorry,” she eventually spits out between laughs. “I mean it, Ben, I’m just kidding around.”<br/><br/></p><p>He still glares at her, unconvinced. <br/><br/></p><p>“I promise, you don't act <em> that </em> old,” she assures him. “You’re the coolest octogenarian I know.” <br/><br/></p><p>The thoroughly unamused look on his face only makes her laugh that much harder. <br/><br/></p><p>“Are you done?” he asks. “Or are you going to keep goofing around and not actually prepare for your match?” <br/><br/></p><p>“I’m <em> trying—”<br/><br/></em></p><p>A Krabby breaks the surface of a nearby pond, capturing both of their attentions. Rey promptly ceases her laughter as it scuttles its way around the edge of the water, completely oblivious to its audience. <br/><br/></p><p>“Here’s your chance,” he quietly tells her, trying not to startle it. The sound of his deep voice rumbling at such a low level makes her legs feel wobbly. “The next gym leader specializes in water Pokémon. This is the perfect practice opportunity.” <br/><br/></p><p>Rey nods and squares her shoulders, trying not to focus on the way her legs have turned to jelly. Alright, she can do this. Ben is<em>, annoyingly, </em> right. Practice makes perfect. <br/><br/></p><p>She cracks her fingers while simultaneously cracking her neck in a succession of loud pops. Rey racks her brain for which of Mudbray’s attacks would do the most damage. She could always use stomp. Or maybe double kick would be more effective. But she didn’t want to crush the poor thing. She isn’t so sure how tough a Krabby’s shell would be. It <em> looks </em> pretty sturdy. Rey wonders if she could break it with her bare hands. Hypothetically of course. Like if she was stranded on an island with no food, she probably could force herself to crack one open physically. But <em> morally? </em> Imagine the emotional toll—<br/><br/></p><p>“Are you going to battle or keep imagining all the ways you could eat this thing?” <br/><br/></p><p>Rey blinks, startled out of her daydream, and can feel her cheeks start to get hot. Logically she knows Ben isn’t capable of reading minds, but that doesn’t stop the flush that spreads over her face at the notion. It was just a lucky guess, a result of her thoughts being easy to read on her transparent face.<br/><br/></p><p>“We don’t have all day, sweetheart,” he breaks her out of her thoughts once again.<br/><br/></p><p>He really shouldn’t be allowed to say things like that in her presence. It’s not fair how something so simple can set her pulse racing. <br/><br/></p><p>The Krabby has finally turned its attention towards Rey, intrigued at the scene unfolding before its beady eyes. <br/><br/></p><p>“Okay Krabby, I hope you’re ready for us!” She points her finger towards it. “Mudbray, use double kick.”<br/><br/></p><p>Mudbray delivers a solid hit to the Krabby using its hind legs. It flips through the air a couple of times before soundly landing on its feet. Well, that answers her question about how tough its shell is. It didn’t look like it took much damage at all. <br/><br/></p><p>Before Rey could give another command, the Krabby uses its water gun attack, landing a direct hit on her Pokémon. <br/><br/></p><p>Mudbray looks a little worse for wear, her shaggy mane has fallen wet and stringy over her face, obstructing her vision.<br/><br/></p><p>“You do know ground type Pokémon are weak against water types?” Ben is standing with his arms crossed, looking unimpressed as ever.<br/><br/></p><p>She <em> knew </em> that. She’s just finding it a little difficult to concentrate with him brooding so close to her. As always, he’s proving to be quite the distraction. And <em> not </em> the good kind.<br/><br/></p><p>“Grass type would be ideal against a water type,” he explains to her as if she is completely ignorant on type effectiveness. “It’s a shame you don’t have any grass type Pokémon,” he says sarcastically.<br/><br/></p><p>“I <em> know,” </em> she growls. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey is well-versed in the type advantages and disadvantages. She knows Gloom would be optimal in this particular scenario. It’s just—well it’s just that she can’t seem to shake her last gym experience from her mind. It’s worrying to think that Gloom, despite having the type advantage, could flounder. <br/><br/></p><p>However, she isn’t going to become a Pokémon master with that attitude, so she steels herself for what she needs to do.<br/><br/></p><p>“Good job, Mudbray, return.” Her Pokémon retreats back into the safety of her poké ball as she grabs the one containing Gloom, releasing him for battle.<br/><br/></p><p>“Okay Gloom, let's do this! Use bullet—”<br/><br/></p><p>“Are you sure you want to do that?” his voice drawls, almost bored with her performance.<br/><br/></p><p>Rey thinks if she grinds her teeth any harder, they may just turn to dust. “Am I sure I want to get on with my battle without your interruptions? Yeah Ben, I’m sure.” <br/><br/></p><p>She’s about to turn back to the Krabby, when he pipes up yet again. “Relying on strong physical moves isn’t always the smart way to battle, you know. Sometimes it’s better to use either a special or status move in order to ensure a win.”<br/><br/></p><p>Rey exhales through her nose. He sounds like a human pokédex. She wants to rub that stupid smug look right off his face. </p><p><br/>“There’s no need to be so harsh with your techniques,” he continues, either oblivious to her sour mood or just not caring. Rey thinks it’s probably the latter. “It’s not always about delivering the most damage when deciding what attacks to choose. The <em> strategy </em> can be a much more important aspect in a battle.” <br/><br/></p><p>Is he <em> still </em> talking? Rey rolls her eyes to the sky and wonders if there is a limit to her patience. <br/><br/></p><p>“Why don’t you try—” he begins.<br/><br/></p><p>“Gloom, use bullet seed!”<br/><br/></p><p>“—or not,” he lamely finishes. <br/><br/></p><p>She figures her limit isn’t that high after all. <br/><br/></p><p>Gloom unleashes an unforgiving barrage of seeds at the Krabby and surprisingly seems to do some actual damage despite its tough exterior.<br/><br/></p><p>It may even be considered <em> too </em> much damage, because the poor little Pokémon flops over and rolls its eyes around in what she assumes is pain.<br/><br/></p><p>Half of Rey is pleased as all can be at how powerful Gloom’s attack was. But the other half is genuinely concerned for the Krabby. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey rushes over and flips the Krabby right-side up, checking for any major injuries. She breathes a sigh of relief when her search comes up empty.<br/><br/></p><p>“I’m sorry, Krabby. All I’ve been thinking about lately is winning,” she offers a subtle apologetic smile. “I hope I’m not becoming too heartless.”<br/><br/></p><p>There’s a muffled, “you were always heartless,” that comes from behind her. When she looks over her shoulder to give him a glare, Ben suddenly finds a patch of grass to be very interesting, scuffing it with the toe of his shoe while keeping his eyes laser focused on the ground. <br/><br/></p><p>She turns her attention back to the Krabby. “I’ve been keeping horrible company lately and I think he might be rubbing off on me,” she wryly tells the Pokémon. <br/><br/></p><p>The Krabby blinks at her, not understanding her joke. <em> Tough crowd. <br/><br/></em></p><p>“Well anyways, no hard feelings, pal?” She sticks her hand out to shake its—hand? Claw? She doesn’t really know, and it ultimately doesn’t matter, because the Krabby pinches her finger—<em>hard—</em>before it descends back into the safety of the pond.<br/><br/></p><p>Rey has half a mind to drag it back up here and finish the battle, but the throbbing pain in her finger robs her of making that, arguably, bad decision. <br/><br/></p><p>“Here, let me.”<br/><br/></p><p>The huge figure of Ben appears beside her as he folds his stupidly large body down and starts rummaging through his backpack for something. <br/><br/></p><p>“I always carry a couple of bandages around with me,” he murmurs in explanation at the confused look on her face. He finally finds one and begins to peel off the wrappings.<br/><br/></p><p>Rey suddenly forgets all about the pain in her finger and finds she can’t tear her eyes from the way his tongue sticks out of the corner of his mouth in concentration.<br/><br/></p><p>The sound of him clearing his throat jolts her back to the present situation. Ben slowly raises the bandage to her hand, almost treating her like a wounded animal he’s afraid is going to bolt at his touch.<br/><br/></p><p>When really it’s the opposite. Rey <em>embraces </em> the moment his fingers wrap the bandage around hers, the feeling of them so solid and warm does wonders for her pain. They heal her more than the bandage could ever hope to. <br/><br/></p><p>She chances a quick look into his eyes, fully intending to avert her gaze immediately, but instead she finds herself hypnotized by the molten pools of black his eyes have become. They hold each other’s stares for only a quick moment before Ben has mercy on her, and bends back to his task. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey holds her breath through the entire action. Only releasing it once Ben’s fingers are no longer anywhere near hers. <br/><br/></p><p>“All better?” he breathily asks. <br/><br/></p><p>And oh how she wishes he had held onto her hand for a little longer. Like he did that one time after she high fived him. Rey had acted like she was mad at his audacity, but really she was elated. She didn’t know what caused him to hold onto her like that, but she wished it would happen more often.<br/><br/></p><p>It’s at this point she realizes that she hasn’t replied to him yet, staring at him with her finger still extended in the space between them. <br/><br/></p><p>
  <em> Say something, say anything. <br/><br/></em>
</p><p>Her mouth parts, to say what, she doesn’t know—<br/><br/></p><p>“Gloom.”<br/><br/></p><p>She honestly doesn’t know if she’s grateful for Gloom’s timely interruption or not.<br/><br/></p><p>“Hey buddy,” she says shakily, standing up. “You were amazing against that Krabby.” Rey picks Gloom up to give him a big hug just to have something to do with her hands. “Hulbury gym won’t know what hit ’em.” <br/><br/></p><p>At the mention of the gym, Rey bites her lip as she slowly turns towards Ben. She didn’t want a repeat of what happened after her last gym battle. She’s remembering how he had mistakenly thought Rey didn’t want him to be there. This time, she’s going to make sure he knows <em> exactly </em> what she wants.<br/><br/></p><p>“You’re coming to my match,” she peers up at him through her lashes, “right?” <br/><br/></p><p>He searches her eyes with his soft-lidded gaze, moving his jaw back and forth as he tries to measure her sincerity. <br/><br/></p><p>He must find what he’s looking for. <br/><br/></p><p>“Of course,” he says, simple as that. <br/><br/></p><p>A smile starts to bloom on her face of its own volition. <br/><br/></p><p>“On one condition,” he adds, halting her smile from forming. “You have to give me your hat.” <br/><br/></p><p>Her smile quickly turns into a frown. <br/><br/></p><p>“But—but that’s my good luck charm!” she splutters. “I can’t win a battle without it!” <br/><br/></p><p>He looks thoughtful for a moment, taking her panicked state serious for once. She doesn’t know why he has such an obsession over her hat. <br/><br/></p><p>“I’ll trade you,” he pulls something out of his pocket. “These have always brought me luck when I needed it most.” <br/><br/></p><p>He deposits a gold pair of dice in her hand, curling her fingers around the object. His hand lingers over hers for a moment before dropping to his side. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey licks her suddenly dry lips. Her heart can't take this act of kindness, he really could be sweet when he wanted to. <br/><br/></p><p>“And you're going to need all the luck you can get,” he dryly mutters.<br/><br/></p><p>Did she say sweet? She meant the most aggravating man who has ever walked this planet. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>———</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>In addition to stealing her hat for the second time, he also drags her to the dockside market once they cross over the city limits in search for a sunglass hut, subsequently buying the biggest pair available.<br/><br/></p><p>“What?” he hotly asked after she said he looked like an overgrown Venonat. “Sun allergies are serious business. I can’t have my eyes burning due to carelessness.”<br/><br/></p><p>She would’ve believed him if he didn’t then <em> continue </em> to wear them even when they entered the gym. He was acting all jumpy as they walked through the doors and she was going to ask him why he was acting more nervous than <em> she </em> was, but he hurriedly wished her luck and skulked off while pulling his hood over his head. <br/><br/></p><p>But she pushes Ben’s abnormal behaviour right out of her mind. She had gotten used to his unique quirks after all this time spent with him. And besides, she can’t afford to have her mind filled with thoughts of Ben right now. He already occupied enough of the space up there—much to her continual dismay.<br/><br/></p><p>She’s currently standing in the tunnel that connects the locker room to the pitch, heart in her throat, trying to calm her breathing as she listens to the low hum of the awaiting crowd. <br/><br/></p><p>If she squints her eyes she can make out the shape of the gym leader standing in the tunnel at the opposite side of the arena. Rey wonders if gym leaders still get nervous before a battle. If <em> she </em> were a gym leader, her heart rate would be all over the place. <br/><br/></p><p>The crowd starts to pick up volume as the gym leader begins to make his way out of the tunnel. Rey jumps and starts to walk while trying to match the gait of her opponent.<br/><br/></p><p>The hollow echo of the tunnel disappears behind her as she emerges onto the pitch. The idea of looking up at the thousands of people watching her is daunting. So instead, she keeps her eyes glued to the ground, watching her feet just so she doesn’t accidentally trip. She didn’t need another jumbotron moment.<br/><br/></p><p>Finally, she makes it to the center of the pitch and turns her body to find herself opposite of the gym leader.<br/><br/></p><p>“Welcome, honoured gym challenger,” he greets her. “I am Admiral Ackbar, water Pokémon extraordinaire.”<br/><br/></p><p><em> Fancy. </em> Rey thought he definitely <em> looked </em> the part. The admiral sort of resembles a human version of a Whiscash. She’s heard rumours that he’s so talented with water Pokémon because he himself can transform into a fish Pokémon, making him able to go underwater to train with them. <br/><br/></p><p>But of course that’s just hearsay. Rey doesn’t <em> truly </em> believe those rumours. And if she stealthily takes a peek at his legs, checking for any unseemly tentacles, he wouldn’t be any the wiser.<br/><br/></p><p>“I wish you good luck, challenger,” he haughtily announces, putting an end to her inspections. “I’ll do my best to sink your chances.” <br/><br/></p><p>Rey sticks her hand out to shake, but the leader quickly spins and walks to his starting position, leaving her limp hand hanging out to dry. <em> Well, alright then. </em> Maybe this Ackbar didn’t think much of Rey’s prowess as a trainer. <em> She’ll show him. <br/><br/></em></p><p>She retracts her hand before she can lose any more dignity and assumes her battle position. <br/><br/></p><p>Ackbar procures a dive ball from his belt, the deep blue sheen glistens under the stadium lights. He throws it and his Goldeen springs into action. It materializes in one of the many pools strategically set up around the length of the gym. <br/><br/></p><p>The crowd goes wild at the appearance of his Pokémon, causing Rey to break out in a nervous sweat. <br/><br/></p><p>She could do this. This will surely be a walk in the park. It’s not like she hasn’t been training nonstop for this moment, suffering through Ben’s commentary all the while. She deserves this badge after dealing with him for so long. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey’s hand hovers over her belt for a moment of indecision, her fingers dancing featherlight over the row of poké balls before she unclips one of them and sends out—<br/><br/></p><p>“Mudbray, I choose you!” </p><p><br/>Even from her far away position on the pitch, she thinks she can hear the smacking sound of Ben’s facepalm ring out around the stadium. <br/><br/></p><p>Okay so maybe she still harbours hesitations about Gloom’s performance issues. But she can’t dwell on her impulsive decision right now, she needs to move fast. <br/><br/></p><p>Unfortunately, Ackbar is no amateur. <br/><br/></p><p>“Goldeen, horn attack,” he rasps. His Pokémon immediately obeys his command, jumping out of the water to strike. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey needs to act—<em>quick. </em> “Mudbray, use high horsepower!” She shouts. <br/><br/></p><p>As the Goldeen is flopping through the air preparing to attack, Mudbray leaps to meet it, slamming into its body before the Goldeen can implement its attack, sending it flying back into the water with a thunderous slap. <br/><br/></p><p>The crowd collectively gasps. <br/><br/></p><p>“That’s right Mudbray, good work,” she praises. <br/><br/></p><p>Although, she can’t get lost in her celebrations too hard, because Ackbar gratingly orders Goldeen to speedily counter with, “water pulse, now!” <br/><br/></p><p>A steady surge of water delivers a devastating blow to her Mudbray, pushing her back a few paces. <br/><br/></p><p>“Hang in there!” Rey pleads, trying her best to push the panic out from her voice. Winning this battle would require her to stay calm. Something she’s finding particularly hard to do right now. She’d rather take a thousand pinches from that Krabby over seeing her Pokémon in such agony.<br/><br/></p><p>But her resilient Mudbray shakes the water out of her hair and looks back to Rey, awaiting her direction.<br/><br/></p><p>Rey gives her a brief nod, pleased that she still has the heart and courage to battle. “Give them a taste of your double kick,” she commands at the same time Ackbar yells, “horn attack.” Their voices overlap across the pitch. <br/><br/></p><p>Mudbray dashes over to meet Goldeen as it attempts to use its horn attack, the both of them meeting in the air, their bodies colliding with each other with a sickening crunch as both their attacks hit their desired target.<br/><br/></p><p>Rey clenches her fists and sees Ackbar tense as they both can’t seem to peel their eyes away from the carnage happening between them. <br/><br/></p><p>When the dust finally settles, they find that both Pokémon have fallen to the ground, fainting as a result of their savage attacks. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey swallows down a whimper for her poor Mudbray. She really did give it her all, Rey couldn’t be more proud of the strength and perseverance she displayed today. <br/><br/></p><p>Both she and Ackbar return their Pokémon, Rey whispering gratitude to her fainted Mudbray now safe and taking a much deserved rest in her poké ball, before her opponent sends out his Arrokuda. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey takes a deep breath and weighs her options. Her hand hovers over Haunter’s poké ball—and quickly skips over to Gloom’s. There’s no way she’s risking sending her Haunter out. He’d probably just laugh in her face and go for a leisurely swim in the pools. They had some <em> serious </em> training to do before he was going to make an appearance in another gym challenge. <br/><br/></p><p>Plus the fact that Rey isn’t completely one-hundred percent sure he is still even <em> in </em> his poké ball deters her from picking him. He could be strolling along the Hulbury harbour for all she knows, terrorizing the innocent sailors. It’s not a chance she’s willing to take. <br/><br/></p><p>Deep in her heart, she knows what she has to do. Even if the thought terrifies her. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey clicks the poké ball to life. “Please,” she whispers.<br/><br/></p><p>“Go Gloom! I know you can do it, buddy.” <br/><br/></p><p>Miraculously, her courageous Gloom comes out of his poké ball looking determined as ever. His little body is poised for battle, waiting for Rey to give him some direction. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey could jump for joy at his appearance, but she knows she doesn’t have any time to celebrate just yet. She has to get a shot in before the Arrokuda dives for safety underwater. <br/><br/></p><p>“Bullet seed,” she clips, short and to the point. <br/><br/></p><p>Gloom manages to fire his seeds at the bobbing Pokémon at record speed. Ackbar doesn’t even have the chance to tell it to dive for protection. The seeds bounce off its body, spraying water droplets off the surface of the pool onto the pitch. The attack is so effective, that the Arrokuda faints immediately, flipping over and floating at the surface of the water in defeat. <br/><br/></p><p>“That was amazing, Gloom!” Rey shouts over the deafening cheers from the crowd, wanting to make sure he hears her. She couldn’t believe they were cheering for <em> her. <br/><br/></em></p><p>“Gloom,” he happily chirps in response, hearing her loud and clear.<br/><br/></p><p>Admiral Ackbar seems genuinely taken aback by this turn of events. His steely eyes rove over the stands, hardening his face at the way they’re no longer cheering for him. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey can’t help the tiny smirk that plays on her lips at his reaction. It might turn into a full-blown grin if she’s not careful. If there’s one thing she doesn’t appreciate, it’s being underestimated.<br/><br/></p><p>“Looks like I’m down to one Pokémon,” Ackbar declares, injecting forced calmness into his tone. “I hope you’re ready. I’ve been saving the best for last.”<br/><br/></p><p>Rey watches as he throws his last dive ball onto the pitch, the stocky form of his Drednaw materializing in front of Gloom, shaking the ground with its mighty steps. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey cranes her neck to watch the crowd erupting at the sight. <em> So much for winning them to my side. <br/><br/></em></p><p>But honestly, she didn’t blame them. They came to watch a battle. And clearly this Drednaw is gearing up for quite the show as it blows an angry snort of air through its nostrils while maintaining eye contact with Gloom, who is thankfully not shrinking away from its stare. Instead, he stands tall—well, as tall as a Pokémon his size can be—and prepares himself for the onslaught. <br/><br/></p><p>Just one more Pokémon. She has all the faith in the world that Gloom can defeat his opponent. Rey is practically vibrating with nervous energy at the thought. <br/><br/></p><p>“Alright Gloom, you know the drill, bullet seed,” she projects, newfound confidence in her voice. <br/><br/></p><p>However, before his attack can even land, the Drednaw spins and rapidly retreats into its shell, causing the bullet seeds to ricochet off its back in high-pitched pinging noises, barely inflicting any damage.<br/><br/></p><p>Rey bites her lip so hard she’s afraid she might draw blood. That shell is going to be a problem. How would Gloom be able to land an attack when it would always just bounce off the Drednaw’s hard exterior?<br/><br/></p><p>Rey shoves her hands roughly into her pockets in frustration, flitting through her brain to try and come up with a solution. <em> Think Rey, think. <br/><br/></em></p><p>Her knuckles brush against something hard. She furrows her brows in confusion as she closes her hand around the cold metal of—Ben’s dice. </p><p>
  <em><br/>Ben. <br/><br/></em>
</p><p>The excitement from the battle made her completely forget all about him. Her head quickly snaps up to look around the arena, the rowdy sounds of the audience fade into background noise as she frantically tries to find his familiar face in the sea of strangers.<br/><br/></p><p>However, her efforts prove fruitless. There’s too many people to sift through, too many flashing lights to strain against. She finds herself close to panic at the thought of not being able to see him.<br/><br/></p><p>Despite finding his commentary of her training to be annoying most of the time, she’d <em> kill </em> to get even the tiniest smidgen of advice from him right about now. He’d know just what to say. Be that some sort of helpful tip or a stupid joke to make her laugh.<br/><br/></p><p>Even now she’s finding herself smiling at the thought of him hunched over in his seat somewhere in this vast crowd with her hat perched snugly on top of his head, and his dumb long finger pushing his hastily purchased sunglasses up from sliding down the harsh slope of his nose. <br/><br/></p><p>At least he had the right idea with the sunglasses. The lights in the stadium are absolutely blinding. It made it incredibly hard to concentrate on what her next move should be. <em> Come on Rey. What to do, what to do? <br/><br/></em></p><p>Hang on. Ben <em> told </em> her what to do. His deep voice reverberates through her memory<em>, relying on strong physical moves isn’t always the smart way to battle, you know. <br/><br/></em></p><p>His advice from earlier in the day<em>. Of course. </em> How could she forget? <br/><br/></p><p>No matter how much she preferred to battle with brute strength, that way wasn’t always going to secure her the win. She’d have to try something out of her comfort zone, use a special move instead of a physical one. </p><p><br/>The Drednaw suddenly charges at Gloom, drawing Rey’s attention back to the matter at hand. It’s moving too fast for her to even warn Gloom before it headbutts him into another dimension. He’s thrown through the air and tumbles a few times against the ground before haltingly standing back up, still expressing a resolute will to battle. <br/><br/></p><p>“That’s it, Gloom,” Rey clenches her teeth, trying not to let her worry bleed into her tone. “Hang in there.” She needs to be just as strong for Gloom as he is being for her. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey swallows at the sight of the Drednaw coming back around for another headbutt, charging for Gloom at full speed. It’s now or never. Let’s see if putting up with Ben’s tiresome presence all day would be worth something. <br/><br/></p><p>“Quick Gloom, use giga drain!” <br/><br/></p><p>The attack lands perfectly on the Drednaw, halting its charge while draining its nutrients to restore the previous damage taken by Gloom. The opposing Pokémon starts to sway on its feet, an effect of having its power drained. <br/><br/></p><p>“Now while it’s weak, give it your best bullet seed,” she directs, feeling the win almost at her fingertips. <br/><br/></p><p>Newly rejuvenated, Gloom springs into action, delivering one final barrage of bullet seeds at Rey’s command, this time hitting the Drednaw square in the face instead of the shell.<br/><br/></p><p>The mighty Pokémon wobbles on its back legs for a perilously long second as Rey holds her breath in anticipation—and promptly releases it as she watches it fall over onto its back in a booming crash, fainting in defeat.<br/><br/></p><p>Her mouth drops open in unbelieving shock. She doesn’t even get the chance to process what has just happened because the crowd roars with applause, the sound swallowing up all of her thoughts.<br/><br/></p><p>The feel of something tugging her pant leg pulls her back to reality. She shuts her mouth and looks down to see Gloom, a big goofy smile replacing his usual sullen frown. It’s the most wonderful he’s ever looked. <br/><br/></p><p>“You did it, Gloom,” her voice is breathless. “That was incredible, I’m so<em> proud </em> of you.” <br/><br/></p><p>“That <em> was </em> an incredible effort.” <br/><br/></p><p>Rey’s head snaps up at the sound of Ackbar’s voice. “If you continue to seize victories like <em> that</em>, you may even be strong enough to challenge the champion.” He sticks his hand out in offering. <br/><br/></p><p>It’s at this point Rey notices she’s still clinging to the dice in her pocket, the edges have undoubtedly left an indent in her palm by now. She hides a secret smile at the thought. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey gladly accepts his hand, giving him a brief sturdy shake before he retreats and places the gym badge in her grasp. <br/><br/></p><p>The blue water droplet shines almost as bright as the smile beaming off her face as she relishes her win amongst the cheers from the crowd. <br/><br/></p><p>———</p><p><br/>Still high off the thrill of her second win, Rey struts out of the gym with a renewed pep in her step, Gloom cheerily keeping up with her strides.<br/><br/></p><p>Rey had managed to sneak out before she could be accosted by the Ball Guy. She likes a free poké ball as much as the next person, but there is something about them that makes her skin crawl. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it. Nor did she <em> want </em> her fingers anywhere near that guy. <br/><br/></p><p>In spite of the joy currently encompassing her entire body, her steps falter as she emerges from the gym doors to experience a serious case of déjà vu. <br/><br/></p><p>There’s no one waiting for her. <em> Abandoned again. <br/><br/></em></p><p>When will she learn? The sooner she got it through her thick skull that people would always leave her, the better. <br/><br/></p><p>Gloom’s little face peers up at her, worried about the rapid switch of her mood. She gives him a little tiny smile, trying to reassure him. “Come on, we better get going before it gets dark.” <br/><br/></p><p>Feeling thoroughly defeated despite her recent challenge win, she starts to walk away. <br/><br/></p><p>“I see my dice worked their charm.”  <br/><br/></p><p>Rey freezes. <br/><br/></p><p>“I think I’m claiming this win for myself, actually,” he laughs in that familiar deep way of his. “After all, you couldn’t have done it without me.” <br/><br/></p><p>She slowly turns to find Ben nonchalantly leaning against the side of the gym while twirling her hat on the end of his index finger. <br/><br/></p><p>And maybe it’s because she’s overcome with residual emotions from her match. Or maybe it’s the fact that her suspicions of being abandoned again were just proven to be wrong, that she decides to sprint towards him and wrap her arms around his middle. <br/><br/></p><p>Or <em> maybe—</em>a small voice at the back of her head whispers to her—maybe she’s just glad to see him. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey allows herself a quick moment to bask in the way he feels pressed against her like this. As her head rests against his hard chest, she can feel his arms hesitate before settling lightly on her shoulders. He surely must feel the way her heavy breathing tickles his neck, but Rey can’t even find herself to be embarrassed. It feels amazing to be enveloped in his presence, the smell of his clean masculine scent is overwhelming.<br/><br/></p><p>Rey feels <em> safe.<br/><br/></em></p><p>The entire moment only lasts for a couple of seconds before she’s pulling away from his massive body. At least now her curiosity is satisfied in knowing that she <em> is </em> able to reach her arms around his broad frame. <br/><br/></p><p>“What was that for?” he asks after clearing his throat. He looks a little mystified. Rey is surprised by her boldness as well.<br/><br/></p><p>“You were right,” she admits, even though it pains her to do so. “I really couldn’t have done it without you.”<br/><br/></p><p>They stare at each other for a moment and Rey has an intense urge to pull him into another hug. But she doesn’t want to push her luck.<br/><br/></p><p>“Maybe you <em> do </em> know what you’re talking about,” she teases. “I should start listening to what comes out of that loud mouth of yours more often.” <br/><br/></p><p>The soft look on his face jumps to disbelief in the blink of an eye. “We both know that’s <em> never </em> going to happen,” he dryly replies. <br/><br/></p><p>“Yeah, you’re so right,” she flashes him a cheeky smile.<br/><br/></p><p>“I could get used to that,” he says as they start to walk away from the gym. “You should tell me I’m right more often.”<br/><br/></p><p>“<em>You should tell me I’m right more often,” </em>she imitates his voice once more. </p><p><br/>Ben groans. “Not this shit again. It’s not even a good impression,” he angrily protests while gesturing at her standing on her tiptoes with her chest puffed out.<br/><br/></p><p>She doesn’t know what he’s talking about. <br/><br/></p><p>“Keep dreaming, Ben, you know it’s like looking at your reflection.”<br/><br/></p><p>He just shakes his head as they continue walking down the road. <br/><br/></p><p>“Oh hey, while we’re here can we go check out that seafood place?” She points to the restaurant in the distance. “I heard it serves the freshest fish in the city.” <br/><br/></p><p>“Why, so you can see if they have any Krabby on the menu?” <br/><br/></p><p>“Hey!” She scrunches her face in mock outrage—then promptly lowers her voice to a conspiratorial whisper, “do you think they do?” <br/><br/></p><p>He rolls his eyes playfully at her. “Don’t ever change, sweetheart. You really are something special.”<br/><br/></p><p>Even though she’s almost certain he means it as a joke, it doesn’t stop her traitorous heart from almost leaping out of her chest. <br/><br/></p><p>Although, the longing look she catches him giving her as they continue to walk side by side makes her think he might not have been joking after all.</p><p>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>chapter count is most likely going up✌🏼</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Pyroar! Unlimited Pyroar!</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“You’re lying,” she accuses, mouth full of strawberry shortcake. <br/><br/></p><p>“Cross my heart.”</p><p><br/>Rey audibly gulps down her bite of cake. “There’s no way.” <br/><br/></p><p>“I swear,” he adamantly insists.<br/><br/></p><p>“You’re telling me if I give a Milcery a sweet, then twirl around on the spot, it evolves into an Alcremie?” He can hear the doubt dripping from her voice. <br/><br/></p><p>“Why would I lie to you?”<br/><br/></p><p>Rey lets out a humourless laugh. “Oh I don’t know, to make me look like a fool if I ever try and evolve one?”<br/><br/></p><p>Ben raises a single eyebrow. “You don’t need my help making yourself look like a fool,” he retorts dryly. “You manage that pretty well all on your own.”<br/><br/></p><p>The hand about to shovel a spoonful of cake freezes midway to her mouth as she levels a frosty glare at him over the table. <br/><br/></p><p>The two of them are currently enjoying some sugary treats at the Battle Café in celebration of Rey’s recent win of her <em> third </em> gym badge. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben struggles to swallow a piece of croissant that has gotten stuck in his suddenly dry throat.<br/><br/></p><p>The pace at which she was defeating gyms had started to make him nervous. He always knew Rey was a force to be reckoned with—even though he liked to mess with her and tell her otherwise. But it didn’t change the fact that each time she flaunted a shiny new badge in his face, his anxiety levels shot through the roof. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben glances down to the floor beside their table at Gloom and Growlithe sprawled out on top of a fluffy purple mat, enjoying their own plates of citrus poké puffs. <br/><br/></p><p>The badge responsible for his anxious state is presently in between Gloom’s teeth, the flame shape peeking out from his mouth. He seems fascinated by the red glaze of the badge, probably mistaking it for a piece of candy. He really is an odd little fellow. <em> Not unlike his trainer. <br/><br/></em></p><p>Ben leans over to scratch behind Growlithe’s ear as he thinks about Rey’s latest gym battle. <br/><br/></p><p>Against his better judgement, he once again found himself hiding amongst the audience in Motostoke stadium this morning to watch her match against the fire type gym leader, Jannah.<br/><br/></p><p>It had caught him off guard to see Rey use Haunter as her starter. Although, Ben couldn’t really tell for sure if Rey <em> meant </em> to choose him at first. He just materialized in front of her flabbergasted face before she even had the chance to throw a poké ball.<br/><br/></p><p>Honestly, Ben was just relieved she followed his advice about type advantages this time around by not throwing Gloom into the mix. That surely would have been a recipe for a leaf-sizzling disaster. <br/><br/></p><p>Once Haunter had fainted after taking down Jannah’s Ninetales, she had made the smart choice of sending out Mudbray, using her ground type advantage to quickly win the match.<br/><br/></p><p>Ben props his chin on his fist as he mindlessly pushes the crumbs around his plate, lost in his memories. <br/><br/></p><p>Words couldn’t possibly describe the spectacle that was Rey when she battled. <br/><br/></p><p>She was simply <em> breathtaking. </em>  <br/><br/></p><p>Her voice was full of encouragement and understanding when giving direction to her Pokémon. All gnashing teeth and ferociousness when watching them attack. Yet heartbreakingly beautiful as her face broke into a toothy grin whenever her strategies paid off. <br/><br/></p><p>It was an event Ben knew he would never grow tired of experiencing. Even if he had to play the dangerous game of laying low and risking someone recognizing him during her matches.<br/><br/></p><p>However, it’s a risk he’s all too willing to take. A risk that makes Ben examine just how close he and Rey have unexpectedly become in such little time. <br/><br/></p><p>Like how during her battle against Ackbar when Ben thought he saw Rey searching for him in the crowd. It’s dizzying to think that in her moment of panic, <em> he </em>was the first person she tried to look for. </p><p><br/>Ben frowns as he watches Rey sneakily slip the strawberries off her cake into Growlithe’s eager mouth. <br/><br/></p><p>The thought of Rey finding comfort in him is surely too good to be true, just a misguided assumption concocted by his hopeful heart. She was probably just taking in the sight of the crowd cheering for her. <br/><br/></p><p>And she certainly had a knack for rallying the crowd to her side. <br/><br/></p><p>The people of Motostoke simply <em> adored </em> their gym leader. Jannah was known to ride up and down the streets astride her Rapidash, making friends and inspiring the inhabitants of the city. <br/><br/></p><p>So it was quite shocking to see the crowd rooting for Rey and her ragtag group of Pokémon during the match. </p><p><br/>But then again, maybe it made perfect sense that the crowd loved her. She really did have a way of winning people over, something even Ben has been reluctantly finding out recently. <br/><br/></p><p>The same woman who practically has saliva dripping down her chin as she stares at the Milcery floating by the cash register. <br/><br/></p><p>“She’s not for sale,” Ben comments as he leans back in his chair while crossing his arms. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey jumps and shakes her head clear. “Don’t know what you’re talking about,” she mutters, deflecting the way he caught her red-handed drooling over a Milcery. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey spoons a dollop of whipped cream off her plate and is about to bring it to her mouth when she stops. Her eyes dart from her spoon to the Milcery on the counter. <br/><br/></p><p>“You don’t think...?” She doesn’t finish her question, but Ben understands exactly where her train of thought is leading her. <br/><br/></p><p>Something about sitting across from her in this cozy café makes him want to play along with her ridiculous fascination with food Pokémon for once. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben didn’t have a lot of experience with dating. He didn’t have the <em> time </em> to explore a romantic life, his duties as champion keeping him way too busy for any such notion. Even growing up he had his nose buried in Pokémon books—no girls even looked at him, let alone <em> talked </em> to him. <br/><br/></p><p>He has a feeling Rey would flip the table if he even mentioned such a thing. But something about the thought that this could be considered a date makes him feel playful. Her goofiness is seriously rubbing off on him. <br/><br/></p><p>“There’s a reason you have to shake a Milcery to evolve it,” he covertly whispers to her, pretending that she <em> is </em> eating whipped Milcery, despite that surely being some type of health code violation. “And what do they evolve into?”<br/><br/></p><p>Ben lets the answer hang in the air for a moment, enjoying the wide-eyed look of anticipation on her face. <br/><br/></p><p>“Whipped cream,” he leans over the table and dramatically whispers. “They evolve into a whipped cream Pokémon.” <br/><br/></p><p>It’s hard to keep a straight face at the way Rey’s mouth falls open in shock. It’s actually kind of charming. She could talk a big game about wanting to eat a Magikarp, but pales when faced with the possibility that she’s eating an Alcremie. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben is torn between laughing his head off or confessing it was just a big joke when she starts to push all the whipped cream to the side of her plate. For such a powerful trainer, she really could be delightfully gullible. <br/><br/></p><p>She dives back into her cake, eating <em> around </em> the whipped cream, furrowing her brow when she sees Gloom playing with her badge. <br/><br/></p><p>“Be careful Gloom,” she chides mildly between bites. “That’s not a toy.”<br/><br/></p><p>“Gloom,” he replies, shoving the badge back in his mouth as soon as Rey looks away.<br/><br/></p><p>She's got a piece of cake hanging off her bottom lip. Ben wants so desperately to be able to wipe it off with his thumb, laughing as he tenderly pushes it back into her mouth. <em> Maybe if this actually was a date, she might allow him to do that</em>. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben snaps out of his thoughts and lets his eyes roam the café, noting how empty it is for such a popular shop. They must’ve just missed the morning rush when people packed the place in search of speciality treats or a battle with the owner. As he scans the room, Ben accidentally catches the eye of the café master standing behind the counter. <br/><br/></p><p><em>Shit. </em> It’s subtle, but Ben notices the way his face shifts into one of recognition when he realizes just who’s sitting in his café.<br/><br/></p><p>Ben violently shifts away from the man’s gaze, causing his elbow to knock his fork off the table, falling onto Gloom’s head. <br/><br/></p><p>He can see the café master start to busy himself with preparing a plate with some cake monstrosity and making his way over to their table. <br/><br/></p><p>A whistling sound draws his attention downwards and his eyes nearly bug out of his head at the sight of Gloom choking on the fire badge. <br/><br/></p><p>“On the house,” he hears the café master knowingly announce as he deposits the cake on their table. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben doesn’t even spare him a glance, too busy hunched over whacking Gloom on his tiny back, trying to dislodge the badge. Rey is too preoccupied with the arrival of the new slice of cake from the mysterious man to notice what’s happening below them.<br/><br/></p><p>Rey would never forgive him if something happened to Gloom because Ben dropped a <em>fork</em> on him. <br/><br/></p><p>After one particularly strong slam of his hand, the badge flies out of Gloom’s mouth—hitting Growlithe’s unamused face, the drool coated metal sliding down his fur until it hits the ground.<br/><br/></p><p>Ben snatches the badge and straightens in his seat just in time, watching as Rey turns her attention back to him once the café master leaves their table. <br/><br/></p><p>“What was that all about?” she asks, referring to the giant piece of chocolate cake set down between them and thankfully<em> not </em> the way Gloom was choking due to his carelessness. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben shrugs as he casually slides the badge over the table towards her. “No idea. Maybe he saw your match this morning.” </p><p><br/>Rey looks thoughtful for a moment, looking at the café master who gives her a little smile, before quickly averting her eyes and diving into her fresh slice of cake. <br/><br/></p><p>“Looks like someone has a fan,” Ben plays up the charade. <br/><br/></p><p>“Shut up,” she hisses, turning red. “Actually,” Rey takes one more peek at the man and purses her lips, “I think he’s looking at <em> you.” </em>  <br/><br/></p><p>Ben glances over his shoulder to see the café master still staring at him with a tiny smirk on his lips. He sinks further down in his seat. <br/><br/></p><p>“Probably just wondering who let the Nosepass into his café,” he uncomfortably laughs, trying to deflect by being self-deprecating about his appearance. <br/><br/></p><p>He hopes it’s a believable lie. That’s all he needed—for Rey to figure out who he is while elbow deep in her cake. <br/><br/></p><p>“I love your nose,” she mutters absentmindedly. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben slowly lifts his head towards her, not completely convinced he didn’t just imagine what she said. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey pauses mid-chew, slowly meeting his eyes as she realizes she spoke out loud. It’s so quiet in the café, the only sound is Rey’s spoon clacking as she drops it on her plate. <br/><br/></p><p>“I mean—I don’t—I just,” she hurriedly splutters. Ben isn’t sure whose face is redder. Her mouth opens and closes wordlessly for a second before it all spills out of her.<br/><br/></p><p>“I just mean noses are great. It’s great to be able to <em> smell </em> things, you know? Who doesn’t like noses? Not me! You’ve got a nice nose. As far as noses go, yours is...high up there—high up there on the—on the good ole nose scale.” <br/><br/></p><p><em> The good ole nose scale? </em> Ben would tease her if his brain wasn’t still stuck on the fact that Rey said she loved his nose, even though she clearly never meant to say it out loud. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey’s knuckles are turning white from the force at which she’s gripping the edges of the table. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben darts his eyes from her hands to her tense face. As stupid as it sounds, he also would classify Rey’s nose high up on the <em> good ole nose scale. </em>She really did look adorable with her nose scrunched up when she was angered or annoyed by him—sometimes even when she was happy, smiling and laughing at one of her jokes, the sun shining off the dusting of freckles over the sides of her nose…</p><p><br/>Thankfully, the low whine of Growlithe startles him out of his reverie, and perfect timing too. Ben was worried <em>he </em>was about to start professing how much he loved Rey’s nose if he spent another second in his daydreams. <br/><br/></p><p>“What’s the matter, boy?” he asks shakily as he rubs the top of Growlithe’s head, giving Rey a chance to compose herself. “Getting restless? How about we go stretch our legs, hm?” <br/><br/></p><p>Ben gulps and turns back to Rey. “Are you all done with that?” he asks, gesturing to her plate that only has a mountain of whipped cream left on it. He’s trying his hardest not to make this awkward, but of course he’s failing because he can’t even seem to maintain eye contact with her. <br/><br/></p><p>“Yup,” she chirps, voice a little higher than normal as she gets up from her chair. Rey does a double take at Growlithe’s uneaten poké puffs. “Are you gonna take nose—” she shakes her head and quickly corrects herself <em> “—those! </em> Are you gonna take <em> those </em> to go?” <br/><br/></p><p>Rey bites her lip and wrings her hands out behind her back in what Ben assumes is mortification. Even <em> he </em> feels embarrassed for her. <br/><br/></p><p>He decides to be merciful—surprisingly—and pretends he doesn’t hear her slip up. <br/><br/></p><p>“Um,” he indecisively hums, looking back towards the owner. Ben doesn't want to ask him to wrap up the poké puffs to go just in case he starts to talk to him about being champion or something. But he also doesn’t want Rey to make a scene and yell at him for wasting food. <br/><br/></p><p>“Yeah, yeah sure I’ll just—” He reaches into his backpack to pull out a black bandana, wrapping the poké puffs inside. <br/><br/></p><p>Her eyebrows knit together as she watches him tie off the ends. “Those are going to get crushed in your backpack. Why don’t we ask for a—”<br/><br/></p><p>“No!” he blurts a little too loudly. The few patrons of the café turn to look at the commotion. He couldn’t get out of here fast enough. <br/><br/></p><p>“It’s fine, I’ll just carry them,” he says, drastically calmer than moments prior. <br/><br/></p><p>“Alright,” she slowly says, dipping down to pick up Gloom. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben throws some money on the table and rushes out the door just as he starts to feel the walls closing in on him, not even checking to see if Rey is following behind him. He needed to get away from everyone’s scrutinizing stares.<br/><br/></p><p>The sound of gravel crunching to his left tells him that Rey’s caught up to him. Well, that and the fact that he hears her mutter, “stupid Girafarig legs,” between her heavy breaths.<br/><br/></p><p>Now that they’re out of the stuffy air of the café, Ben can finally breathe, taking a deep calming inhale—and just barely jumping out of the path of an Onix slithering down the sidewalk, its trainer chasing after it. Ben can feel a vein pulse on his forehead. He’s growing <em> very </em> tired of Motostoke. <br/><br/></p><p>He turns to Rey who’s bending down to let Gloom smell an arrangement of white camellia flowers poking through the sidewalk shrubbery, smiling as she tries to blow away the strands of hair that have fallen around her face. <br/><br/></p><p>Maybe Motostoke isn’t <em> that </em> bad.<br/><br/></p><p>Gloom’s tiny hand shoots forward and rips one of the flowers from the bush before Rey can stop him. <br/><br/></p><p>“Gloom,” she admonishes, looking up and down the street, afraid they might get in trouble for destroying city property. “You can’t do stuff like that.” <br/><br/></p><p>Ben watches Rey struggle trying to keep hold of Gloom as he tries to shove the flower in his mouth. This is starting to look like the badge situation all over again.<br/><br/></p><p>Rey manages to get the flower out of his grip and spins around to try and find Ben. “Could you hold onto this? I don’t want him getting a stomach ache,” she requests distractedly as she tries to get a better hold on Gloom. <br/><br/></p><p>“Uh yeah, sure,” he barely mumbles before the flower is being thrust into his open hand. He twirls the delicate thing between his clumsy fingers, careful not to crush it. No one had ever given him a flower before—intentional or not. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben closes his eyes and gently lifts the flower to his nose, inhaling deeply. His nose that <em> Rey </em> said she loved. Smelling the flower that <em> Rey </em> gave him. <br/><br/></p><p>“Oh hey,” she calls over to him. Ben’s eyes fly open, whipping the flower away from his face as fast as he can. </p><p><br/>“You think we could stop by the Pokémon Center before we leave?” Rey asks, oblivious to the way Ben just practically had a flower shoved up his nose. <br/><br/></p><p>He clears his throat and nods, not trusting his voice right now. <br/><br/></p><p>They make the short trek to the Pokémon Center, Ben discreetly placing the flower in his pocket, making a mental reminder to not accidentally squish it. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey hands her Pokémon off to nurse Kalonia, thanking her as she tells Rey it’ll only take a few minutes to heal them.<br/><br/></p><p>Ben stalks over to the region map hanging on the wall. The next gym is located in Stow-on-Side, a <em> considerable </em> distance from Motostoke. They’d have to travel through Hammerlocke to get there. <br/><br/></p><p>He wonders if Rey would want to stay a night in the city, get some rooms at the Budew Drop Inn and actually get some sleep on a <em> real </em> bed before they’re back to sleeping on the bumpy ground. But knowing Rey, she probably wants to set out right away in order to reach the gym as fast as possible. <br/><br/></p><p>He smiles at the thought just as Rey appears by his side, joining him in examining the map.</p><p><br/>“Don’t steal this one,” he loudly warns, pointing to the map.<br/><br/></p><p>“Shut. Up. <em> Ben,” </em> she hisses through her teeth, checking to see if anyone heard him. “I told you I <em> borrowed </em> the other one. I’ll give it back,” she weakly assures him. “Eventually.” <br/><br/></p><p>Ben huffs out a laugh, not at all convinced she means that, as he turns back to the map. “I’m assuming you want to get back on the road as soon as possible?” <br/><br/></p><p>“You assume correct,” she confirms while nodding. “I’m not going to become a Pokémon master by twiddling my thumbs.” <br/><br/></p><p>Ben isn’t so sure about that. If anyone could find a way to become a Pokémon master by twiddling their thumbs, it would definitely be Rey. <br/><br/></p><p>“Oh, I should play the poké lottery!” she exclaims as she strolls over to the Rotom Information terminal, selecting the lottery option. <br/><br/></p><p>The tinny voice of the PC machine sparks up.<em> "I’ve now connected to the serverzzz at the Loto-ID Center! We’ll draw a number, and if it’zzz a match for the ID Number of any of your Pokémon, you could win fabulous prizzzes!”<br/><br/></em></p><p>“I can’t believe you play the poké lottery,” he sneers. “Nobody ever wins those things.”<br/><br/></p><p>“Always so pessimistic,” she sighs as she continues to push the buttons on the machine. “You'll never win if you don’t try.” <br/><br/></p><p>He scoffs. “Yeah, when Tepigs fly.” <br/><br/></p><p>Rey rolls her eyes. “Hey, do you want to update your League Card while we’re here? They’ve got tons of new backgrounds to choose from now.” <br/><br/></p><p>“No, I’m fine with mine,” he gruffly declines. That’s the last thing he wants to do right now. Whip out his League Card so she can find out he’s been lying to her by reading the concise story of his life written on the back blurb.<br/><br/></p><p>
  <em> “Oh! Congratulationzzz! That’zzz amazing! The number matches up with the ID Number of your sweet Gloom!” <br/><br/></em>
</p><p>The machine continues to chatter away, but Ben barely hears it due to the blood pounding in his ears.<br/><br/></p><p>“Oh come on, are you sure? There’s one where you can pose next to Ball Guy,” she tries to persuade him, as if the idea of posing next to that creep is in any way enticing. </p><p><br/>“I’m good,” he sternly assures her. <br/><br/></p><p>“Yeah? I don’t believe you. You're probably frowning in front of the train station background.”<br/><br/></p><p>Well, she’s only <em> half </em> wrong. He does have a frown in the picture, but he can’t help the way his face naturally looks. Though he certainly would never choose the <em> train station </em> background. <br/><br/></p><p>
  <em> "And, oh my goodnezzz, all five digitzzz match! It’s marvelouzzz! It’s miraculouzzz!”<br/><br/></em>
</p><p>“Let me see it.” She sticks her hand out expectantly towards him.<br/><br/></p><p>Ben’s brain goes blank. He can’t think with that annoying robot voice in the background. “I…don’t have it on me.” <br/><br/></p><p>“What?” She looks disbelieving. “What kind of trainer doesn’t carry their League Card on them?” </p><p><br/>Ben just shrugs. </p><p><br/>She narrows her eyes at him. “Is your card embarrassing? Did you sneeze mid-picture? Is it matte instead of a shiny coat?” She pretends to gag at that one. “Are you throwing up a peace sign? Did you lay over the flame effect?” Rey continues her barrage of questioning, her smile increasingly growing toothier with each one. “Give it here,” she demands while starting to menacingly walk towards him. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “You’ve won the top prize—”<br/><br/></em>
</p><p>“No!” he shouts for the second time today, the sound ringing out through the silent Pokémon Center, freezing Rey in her tracks. </p><p>
  <em><br/>“—a Master Ball! Zzzt!" </em>
</p><p><br/>Ben blinks back to reality. Hold on, a <em> what </em> ball<em>?<br/><br/></em></p><p>Rey is equally as stunned, mouth agape and argument forgotten as she turns back to face the machine just in time to automatically cup her hands and catch the sphere that pops out from the slot. <br/><br/></p><p><em> "Looking forward to your nexzzzt attempt!" </em>the machine says before powering off. <br/><br/></p><p>Nobody speaks as Rey turns the ball over in her hands, examining every facet to make sure she’s really holding—<br/><br/></p><p>“A master ball,” she whispers in complete awe. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben can’t help but stare at the entrancing way her face flits through emotions—shock, disbelief, happiness, and then—<em>smugness.<br/><br/></em></p><p>“You were saying?” Rey slyly asks, brandishing the master ball in his direction.  </p><p><br/>Okay, so maybe <em> some </em>people win the poké lottery. </p><p> </p><p>———</p><p> </p><p>“Gloom, our lucky star is shining today!” <br/><br/></p><p>“Where?” Ben teases, scanning the sky with a hand above his eyes. “I don't see it. How can you see a star in the middle of the day?”<br/><br/></p><p>Rey shoots him a look so withering, he’s surprised he’s still standing. “I don’t mean it’s <em> literally </em> shining.”<br/><br/></p><p>She’s in high spirits as they descend the stone steps from Motostoke leading into the wild area. He supposes a day consisting of winning a gym badge <em> and </em> a master ball does that to a person.<br/><br/></p><p>“Are you sure you want to cut through the wild area?” he asks as Growlithe runs off in chase of a wild Purrloin. “There’s still time to catch that train to Hammerlocke.” <br/><br/></p><p>“Where’s your sense of adventure?” she grandly asks, setting Gloom on the grass. “Who knows what Pokémon we’ll run into?” She gestures to the wide expanse before them. “Plus, I need to keep training if I want to prepare for my next battle. You can’t train on a train,” she tells him through a wry smile. <br/><br/></p><p>“I mean, you <em> technically </em> could.” Ben distantly remembers hearing something about train battles in a faraway region. “But I can only imagine you trying to battle <em> on top </em> of struggling to keep your balance.” <br/><br/></p><p>“If anyone would be losing their balance, it would be you,” she assures him. “I’m closer to the ground, which makes it <em> easier </em> to balance. Everybody knows it’s <em> tall </em> people who have trouble keeping upright.”<br/><br/></p><p>He throws her a skeptical look. “I don’t know, I seem to remember seeing you fall on your ass a lot more than I ever have.”<br/><br/></p><p>“That’s only because you knocked me over with your brick wall of a body,” Rey says indignantly, recalling their collision on the St. Supremacy. <br/><br/></p><p>“No,” he purses his lips and shakes his head, “I don’t recall any such thing. You must have some memory loss from hitting your head one too many times.”<br/><br/></p><p>She quickens her pace to walk past him muttering, “I’d like to see something hit <em> your </em> big head,” under her breath. </p><p><br/>They continue their journey down past the riverbank in a mostly uneventful few hours. Ben did have to admit being in the open air really is preferable to being crammed inside a stuffy train. They manage to cover a good amount of distance before calling it a day when they reach the bridge field just as the sun starts to set.<br/><br/></p><p>Rey starts to gather wood for the fire with Growlithe right on her heels, a handful of sticks in between his teeth, eager to help. While Ben begins to assemble the tent with Gloom’s—<em>help? <br/><br/></em></p><p>Ben doesn't really know if he would classify getting stuck underneath the tent fabric and needing to be rescued as <em> help. </em> Nor would he consider Gloom almost shoving a stake through Ben’s foot to fall under that category either. But he supposes it’s the thought that counts. And maybe Gloom is just getting back at Ben for almost impaling him with a fork earlier today. Ben wouldn’t begrudge him a chance for revenge. <br/><br/></p><p>By the time they finish, darkness has crept up on them, bringing with it an atmospheric fog. <br/><br/></p><p>All of Rey’s Pokémon, along with Growlithe, are sitting around the fire, chatting up a storm while eating the leftover poké puffs uncovered from Ben’s bandana.<br/><br/></p><p>Even Haunter is joining in on the fun—vanishing into thin air, only to reappear within the campfire, repeatedly scaring the daylights out of Gloom every time he looks into the flames. It really is quite impressive to see Rey making huge progress with her ghost Pokémon’s training.<br/><br/></p><p>“Alright, potatoes or pasta?” she asks, holding both options in either hand, raising them up and down in question.<br/><br/></p><p>Ben squints at the contents in her grasp. “Are those mine?” He glances over to his unzipped backpack. “Did you steal those from my bag?” he asks incredulously.<br/><br/></p><p>“Calm down, I didn’t steal anything. We’re <em> sharing,” </em> she explains with an innocent smile, as if that makes the thievery acceptable.<br/><br/></p><p>It’s hard to be mad at her when she smiles like that. He honestly doesn't mind sharing his food—it’s the snooping around in his backpack he doesn’t like. He doesn’t want her accidentally stumbling upon something incriminating like his League Card. <br/><br/></p><p>“I’m going to take your silence as a vote for the potatoes,” she says while ripping the pack open. “A fine choice.” <br/><br/></p><p>Rey deposits the potatoes in a pan and lets them roast over the fire. As she stirs, Ben retrieves a ball from his backpack, starting a game of fetch with Growlithe. <br/><br/></p><p>Soon, every Pokémon has joined in on the game. Gloom and Mudbray are trying their hardest to keep up with Growlithe’s fast pace, never able to beat him to the ball. Haunter catches it once, but that’s only because he teleported into it. <br/><br/></p><p>Out of the corner of his eye, he can see Rey shivering, despite sitting right next to the fire. “Why did it get so cold all of a sudden?” He can hear the clattering of her teeth from across the fire. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben supposes the chilly weather is the result of the fog creeping in around them. “Don’t you have a jacket or anything?” </p><p><br/>“D-didn’t think I n-needed to bring one,” she stutters. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben frowns. How could she set off on her Pokémon journey without the proper attire? He doesn’t like the idea of Rey freezing to death before they even make it to Hammerlocke. <br/><br/></p><p>He makes the decision before he even fully thinks about the possible repercussions, unzipping his hoodie and shrugging it off his shoulders, leaving him in his black t-shirt. He doesn’t think about his own comfort, or even if Rey would tease him for offering, he just does it. <br/><br/></p><p>“Oh,” she faintly says as he hands the sweater to her. Ben’s not sure if her cheeks are pink from the cold or something else entirely. But he does notice her eyes have focused in on his now bare arms. <br/><br/></p><p>To his great delight, Rey accepts the hoodie with a mumbled, “thank you,” as their fingers touch for the briefest of moments in the exchange. The light contact feels like he’s just been zapped by a Pikachu’s thunder shock attack. <br/><br/></p><p>Once on, the hoodie almost entirely engulfs her body, the hem hitting her mid-thigh. It does something funny to his heart to see her wearing a piece of his clothing. Ben wonders if that’s how she feels every time he wears her hat. If her peeved attitude is a front for how secretly delighted she is. <br/><br/></p><p>But that’s undoubtedly just wishful thinking on Ben’s part. She probably was just pissed off every time he would rudely take her hat. He really needed to buy one for himself once they reached Hammerlocke. And maybe a jacket for Rey, despite how incredibly happy it makes him to see her wear his. <br/><br/></p><p>He watches as Rey grabs the ball from his pocket, resuming the game of fetch with her Pokémon. The hoodie sleeves are so long on her, that the ball is completely hidden underneath them. It’s only visible when she flings it wildly towards the waiting Pokémon. </p><p><br/>Ben finds himself smiling uncontrollably as he resumes Rey’s task of stirring the potatoes. He couldn’t remember the last time he felt this content. <br/><br/></p><p>There’s some rustling by a tree behind the tent that draws everyone’s attention. Ben finds it hard to see through the thick fog, unaware of what Pokémon is possibly watching them.<br/><br/></p><p>Suddenly, Ben starts to feel a headache coming on, causing him to drop the spoon in the pot with a clang. One quick look to Rey’s contorted face tells him she’s also experiencing the same phenomenon. <br/><br/></p><p>“What’s happening?” she worriedly asks, stepping up beside Ben. Growlithe starts to growl at whatever is hiding amongst the fog. <br/><br/></p><p>“I don’t know,” he rubs his forehead. “But we should—”</p><p><br/>He’s interrupted by the appearance of a tiny Pokémon floating towards them.<br/><br/></p><p>“A Ralts!” Rey squeals, her headache forgotten. “I’ve got to catch it!” <br/><br/></p><p>“That thing just tried to make our heads explode,” he grimaces at her. “I say we leave it alone.”</p><p><br/>Rey looks affronted. “No way, I’m not letting this Pokémon slip through my fingers. Gloom, you’re up, buddy!” </p><p><br/>“Gloom,” he determinedly replies, waddling up to join her.<br/><br/></p><p>“That’s the spirit! Now use—”<br/><br/></p><p>She doesn’t even get the chance to finish her command, because Gloom abruptly collapses, falling asleep on a patch of grass. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben looks back up to the Ralts and sees its eyes are glowing red, a product of using its hypnosis attack on Gloom. Ben couldn't help the involuntary shivers he got from the sight. <br/><br/></p><p>Haunter is absolutely loving this mess of a situation right now, whizzing around the campsite in unabashed joy. <br/><br/></p><p>“Oh that’s it, you’re going down!” Rey threatens the tiny Pokémon. “Mudbray, use stomp.” <br/><br/></p><p>Growlithe’s continuous barking distracts the Ralts long enough for Mudbray to effectively implement her attack. The Ralts stumbles back a few paces, taking a good amount of damage. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben winces. “You really shouldn’t have done that.” <br/><br/></p><p>The Ralts counters with confusion, hitting Mudbray full force, causing her to start helplessly rolling around on the ground. </p><p><br/>Rey lets out a pathetic whimper at how badly this is turning out for her.<br/><br/></p><p>“I told you so.” Ben can’t help but rub it in her face, even though it makes her red with anger. “Psychic type Pokémon are weak to ghost type. Get your Haunter in here.” <br/><br/></p><p>“Easier said than done,” she growls. “Haunter, I—” she swivels around to look for him, but he’s nowhere to be found. “Wha—where’d he go?” <br/><br/></p><p>They both turn towards the crackling sound of the fire to see Haunter picking up the pan of potatoes with one hand while reaching into it with his other. <br/><br/></p><p>
  <em> Oh shit.  </em>
</p><p><br/>It takes approximately two seconds before Haunter starts hurling boiling hot potatoes in every direction, not caring who he hits. <br/><br/></p><p>What was Ben saying earlier about Rey making huge progress with Haunter’s training? <br/><br/></p><p>It’s not often Ben admits he’s wrong. But as a flying hot potato hits him square in the crotch, making him sink down onto his knees, he may just have to admit such a thing. Well, he would if he didn’t just have the ability to speak in anything less than a squeak knocked out of him. <br/><br/></p><p>“Haunter, no!” Rey is wildly running around the campsite shielding her head from his barrage. <br/><br/></p><p>Haunter flings one at Gloom who—despite being asleep—shoves the potato in his mouth. He must be playing dead, not wanting to participate in the shitshow this night has become. <em> That little—<br/><br/></em></p><p>“Oof,” he grunts as another potato hits him in the gut. </p><p><br/>Ben falls flat on his back and watches the mayhem unfolding before him with tears of pain in his eyes. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey is huddled behind the tent, using it for cover—until Haunter finds her and starts his assault all over again. <em> How many potatoes does he have? <br/><br/></em></p><p>“Rey,” he croaks, just barely getting her attention. “I’m dying here.” </p><p><br/>“Don’t be so dramatic!” <br/><br/></p><p>Growlithe is now viciously barking at the Ralts, who is using its telekinesis to suspend the potatoes in the air—then promptly launching them back in self-defense. However, it’s no match for Haunter’s wicked throwing arm. Some of the potatoes are able to break through the force field and splatter all over the Ralts. <br/><br/></p><p>“Hurry up and catch this thing,” Ben wheezes as he curls into the fetal position. <br/><br/></p><p>Gloom is still pretending to be asleep, sneakily shoveling whatever potatoes he can reach into his mouth. Beside him is a still confused Mudbray rolling around in a mud pile she’s dug up, coating her entire body in the sludge. <br/><br/></p><p>“I’m trying!” Rey snaps as she frantically shuffles through her backpack, looking for a poké ball. The Ralts telekinetically tosses a potato and hits her arm in the process. <br/><br/></p><p>“Try harder!” he rasps, still on the ground. <br/><br/></p><p>“Stop yelling at me,” she desperately whimpers while blindly searching her backpack.</p><p><br/>“I will, once you end this—”<br/><br/></p><p>“Shut up! I can’t concentrate—”</p><p><br/>“Would you just hurry—”</p><p><br/>“Can you stop—” <br/><br/></p><p>Rey stops mid-sentence and perks up as she <em> finally </em> finds a poké ball. She straightens up and winds her long-sleeved arm back. <br/><br/></p><p>A delirious cackle escapes her lips. “Take this! I’ve got you <em> and </em>your bowl cut now.” </p><p><br/>Ben watches as she throws the poké ball at full speed. It feels like the ball is moving in slow motion as it rotates through the air. <br/><br/></p><p>Mudbray and Gloom snap out of their hypnosis, Growlithe stops barking, and Haunter drops the remaining potatoes. All of them are watching the scene with bated breath</p><p><br/>The ball hits its target, capturing the Ralts with no resistance as it softly falls to the ground. The whole action lasts only seconds. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey’s gasp is the only sound that echoes through the campsite. <br/><br/></p><p>On the ground where the Ralts once stood is decidedly <em> not </em> a poké ball. </p><p><br/>It’s her master ball.</p><p> </p><p>———</p><p> </p><p>The silence is unbearable. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben has his hands awkwardly placed flat on his lap as he keeps his eyes trained on the flames. <br/><br/></p><p>All of the Pokémon are uncharacteristically quiet as they sit in a circle around the campfire, none of them wanting to disturb the still atmosphere. Even Haunter sits with a guilty look on his face, sneaking sheepish glances at the other Pokémon. <br/><br/></p><p>Everyone seems to be suspended in a state of disbelief with looks on their faces that say <em> did that really just happen? <br/><br/></em></p><p>Ben takes his eyes off the fire to peer at Mudbray. Her body is still covered in mud as she shiftily darts her eyes back and forth from the flames to the Ralts who is also sitting silently by the fire. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben swallows as he sneaks a quick peek at the Ralts—and swiftly averts his eyes when he finds that the Ralts is already staring at him. He knew Rey should’ve just left it alone. Now it’s sitting at <em>their </em>campfire, making them feel uneasy—like an unwanted dinner guest who showed up uninvited. </p><p><br/>Out of the corner of his eye he can see Rey’s face painted in a blank state of shock, the master ball limply hanging open in her hands.</p><p><br/>She looks like she wants to cry. Honestly, Ben wants to cry <em> for </em> her. Rey’s little mistake has cost her the opportunity to flawlessly catch <em> any </em> Pokémon in the world—without fail.<br/><br/></p><p>And she wasted it on a <em> Ralts. <br/><br/></em></p><p>Ben and Gloom exchange a brief uncertain look, silently bonding over their uncomfortableness. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey is still wearing his hoodie—the whole reason for her poké ball mishap. If the massive sleeves didn’t cover her hands, she would’ve been able to see that she mistakenly grabbed the master ball from her panicked search through her backpack. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben starts to sweat at the thought that Rey might blame <em> him </em> for the blunder. If he hadn’t offered her his hoodie, they would’ve never been in this predicament. Never in his life did Ben think he’d be ashamed of something as silly as having long arms. <br/><br/></p><p>He can <em> feel </em> the Ralts still staring at him—literally feel it in his head. Ben leans slightly into Rey and whispers, “I think it’s trying to read our minds.”<br/><br/></p><p>Rey blinks, startled out of her despair, and begins to worry her bottom lip between her teeth. “At least you don’t have anything to worry about,” she whispers back in a serious tone.<br/><br/></p><p>“What?” Ben’s face contorts in confusion. <br/><br/></p><p>“There’s nothing in that big head of yours <em> to </em> read.” <br/><br/></p><p>To his left, Gloom let’s out a tiny snicker. He quickly covers his mouth with his hand when Ben shoots him a dirty look.<br/><br/></p><p>When he turns back to Rey, he sees that she’s also trying to contain her laughter by mashing her lips shut. But that only forces her laugh to escape through her nose in a series of harsh snorts. <br/><br/></p><p>Her snorting sets Haunter off, who starts mimicking the rough sound, which only makes Mudbray start to heartily bray in response. <br/><br/></p><p>Soon enough, everyone is breaking out in giggles like some type of giant cathartic laughing session. Even Growlithe—the traitor—can’t control the husky rumble of amusement that bursts from his mouth. <br/><br/></p><p>But even <em> more </em> surprising is that the <em> Ralts </em> has joined in, starting to hauntingly release peals of bone-chilling laughter as well. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben slumps down miserably as he helplessly waits for their merriment to die down. Which, judging by the tears in everyone’s eyes, will probably take some time. <br/><br/></p><p>“Well,” he stands up just as the last of Rey’s snorts fizzle out. “This has been fun. But it turns out, watching you all lose your minds really tires me out so—” he stretches his arms over his head, making his shirt ride up “—see you all in the morning. Or not. Depending on if you all die of laughter sometime during the night.” <br/><br/></p><p>“Oh,” he faintly hears Rey utter. When he looks at her, she’s got her eyes studiously fixed on the hem of his shirt. “Oh,” she says again, louder, while snapping her eyes back up to his face. “Wait, I still have your hoodie.” She stands up and starts to untangle all the excess fabric off her body.<br/><br/></p><p>Ben waves a dismissive hand in her direction. “It’s fine, you can keep it if you want.” <em> Keep it. Please keep it. “</em>It’ll probably get even colder during the night.” <br/><br/></p><p>She looks uncertain for a moment before handing it over to him. “No, that’s okay. Probably drenched in bad luck by now.”<br/><br/></p><p>Ben nods in resignation as he takes the hoodie back. He feels a pang of sadness at the thought that she probably would never want to wear it again because of its association to the unfortunate events that took place earlier tonight. </p><p><br/>“Are you heading to bed or—?” Ben hesitates.<br/><br/></p><p>Rey slowly exhales while she thinks. “You go on ahead,” she waves him off. “I’m uhh—I’m probably gonna go scream into some bushes for a little while.” She points over her shoulder, bobbing her head while puffing out a single exasperated laugh. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben doesn’t know if she’s joking or not, but the soulless look in her eyes sort of answers his question.<br/><br/></p><p>Ben calls Growlithe over so they can leave Rey to scream in peace, but she stops him before he gets too far.</p><p><br/>“Hey, Ben,” her tone is gentle.<br/><br/></p><p>He immediately turns back to face her, always hanging on her every word. “Yeah?” <br/><br/></p><p>“Thanks,” she says softly. “I really needed that.” <br/><br/></p><p>She must be referring to him being on the receiving end of about fifteen minutes worth of raucous laughter. <br/><br/></p><p>“I didn’t do anything,” he tells her, fully believing it to be true. He was just being himself, it was nothing special. <br/><br/></p><p>“Yes you did.” </p><p><br/>The simple statement is spoken so confidently, so <em> genuinely, </em> that he can’t help but believe her when she says it. <br/><br/></p><p>“Sleep well, Ben,” she says through a tender smile.<br/><br/></p><p>“Yeah, you too,” he breathlessly replies.</p><p><br/>Somehow he makes it to his tent without fainting. He feels dizzy, light on his feet, like his head is in the clouds. Although that may just be a side effect of Ralts trying to breach his mind.<br/><br/></p><p>Once he’s in the safety of the tent, he pulls his hoodie back on and inhales the scent Rey has left behind. It smells like grass, sunshine, and something that is distinctly <em> Rey.  </em></p><p><br/>He allows himself one more indulgent inhale before he passes out, but a particular smell grabs his attention before he can do so. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben reaches into his pocket, his hand curling over something peculiar as he carefully pulls the object out. </p><p><br/>It’s the flower Rey had gifted him earlier. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben doesn’t know how long he lays sideways in his sleeping bag, staring fondly at the delicate white petals resting in front of his face while he revels in the heady aroma. </p><p><br/>What Ben <em> does </em> know, is that despite the chaos of the day—the flower is still perfectly intact. </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>did you really think rey would use that master ball properly?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Exeggcute Order 66</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Comprehensive clothing descriptions? I don’t know her</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Rey thinks back to the disastrous way in which she and Ben met, she never would’ve imagined that this many weeks later she’d find herself on a shopping spree with him. <br/><br/></p><p>“I’m not putting that on,” he vehemently refuses. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey sways the shirt back and forth, trying to tempt him. “Come on, look how cute the Poliwag is.” <br/><br/></p><p>Ben narrows his eyes at the shirt, like the innocent Pokémon on the front has done something to offend him. <br/><br/></p><p>“Who cares? I don’t wear clothes because they look cute.” <br/><br/></p><p>“Yeah, I can tell,” she mutters under her breath, shifting the growing pile of clothes hanging over her forearm. <br/><br/></p><p>After the unfortunate incident that shall not be mentioned, Rey insisted they hightail it to Hammerlocke, not wanting to spend another second drowning in her sorrows. <br/><br/></p><p>However, that didn’t stop the way Rey still felt like bursting into tears whenever she thought about the master ball burning a hole into the bottom of her backpack. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey had tried to build a connection with Ralts since that night by the campfire, but her mysterious little Pokémon seemed to prefer solitude over companionship, twitching mercilessly every time she tried to clip the master ball beside her other poké balls. After the tenth time the ball jumped off her belt, Rey chose to stuff it inside her bag. <br/><br/></p><p>She supposes it’s a good thing Ralts didn’t want to stay out in the open. Rey couldn’t take the embarrassment of someone catching a glimpse of the purple ball hanging off her hip and demanding to see what Pokémon could possibly be inside, only to be disappointed when they see its contents. <br/><br/></p><p>People would expect a strong Pokémon, maybe even a legendary, to be hiding within. They surely would judge her as an incompetent trainer for wasting the powerful potential of a master ball on a Ralts. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey did feel bad about hiding her away in her bag, but her guilt ebbed once Ralts stopped her twitching as soon as she was snuggly nestled in between her Primeape and Mankey t-shirts, seemingly at peace with her new home. At least <em> someone </em> appreciates good fashion. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey shoves the Poliwag shirt into his chest. “Why don’t you just try it on?” She maneuvers Ben around and pushes him towards the fitting rooms. “You might like it once you see it on yourself.”<br/><br/></p><p>Ben plants his feet on the floor, not budging. “The whole point in coming to this boutique was to buy a hat, not some stupid novelty shirt,” he grumbles, turning back around to face her. “Besides, this isn’t even my size.”<br/><br/></p><p>“Stop being such a negative Chansey,” she lightly scolds. Her eyes drift to a similar Poliwag shirt, swiftly swiping it off the rack. “Look, I’ll try this one on and we can match.” Rey holds the shirt in front of her body trying to sweeten the deal with a smile.<br/><br/></p><p>It must work because Ben’s face relaxes into submission as he exhales an annoyed puff of air through his nose and allows Rey to shove him into a fitting room, the Poliwag shirt limply clutched in his hands. <br/><br/></p><p>“We shouldn’t even be wasting our time playing dress up,” Ben shouts from his fitting room. “I thought you wanted to find someone to trade your Haunter—oh shit.” The end of his sentence is punctuated with a slamming sound. Rey bites back a laugh at the thought of him banging around in the tiny space trying to wrestle the shirt on his huge body. </p><p><br/>“Less talking, more trying on clothes,” she shouts back as she slips into her own fitting room, meticulously hanging up the clothes she picked out. She did want to find a way to trade Haunter in order to evolve him. But that predicament could be put on hold for a little while longer in favour of her current shopping needs. <br/><br/></p><p>For once in her life, Rey had enough money to actually splurge on new clothing. The funds she collected after only <em> one </em> battle win were greater than the amount saved up in her entire bank account. So imagine her awe at seeing <em> three </em> gym battles worth of money deposited into her account. It’s a completely unfathomable amount of money directly at her disposal. <br/><br/></p><p>However, the practical part of her brain still feels a little guilty at the thought of spending money on something as frivolous as clothes when she could be using it to buy something useful like medicine and potions for her Pokémon.<br/><br/></p><p>Although, she couldn’t deny that she needed to buy some type of outerwear. When Rey set off on her Pokémon journey, she didn’t pack a lot of clothing options—and it’s not like she owned much to begin with. Rey didn’t need heavy clothing in the desert city she grew up in. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey shoves her arms through the simple white tracksuit jacket and spins in front of the mirror. This should do. She could justify buying something practical like this. <br/><br/></p><p>After all, she couldn’t steal Ben’s hoodie every time she was cold—even though she had a strong desire to do so. Rey had only reluctantly given it back to him that night because he kept throwing her funny looks, almost like he was uncomfortable by the sight of her wrapped up in something of his. He was probably wondering when she’d stop hogging his only source of warmth and give it back to him before she undoubtedly found a way to ruin it. </p><p><br/>Rey sighs as she hangs the jacket back up. There’s absolutely no way Ben feels the same way she does whenever she sees her ball cap snuggly fit on top of his thick locks. Like her heart had travelled its way up into her throat with the intensity of its fluttering. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben had already picked out a new black hat he was planning on buying—probably so he never had to have the misfortune of wearing hers ever again. <br/><br/></p><p>As much as it pains her to say, Rey has grown very fond of Ben. It was hard not to when they spent so much time together. Rey found her thoughts consumed with all the different ways she could coax that dimpled smile to make an appearance onto his face. <br/><br/></p><p>Like just now as she wrestles a frilly leppa berry print skirt up her legs that she has no intention of buying, only to see if it’ll make him laugh when she bursts out of the fitting room. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey takes one final look in the mirror, smoothing out the wrinkles of her new outfit. She looks ridiculous in the berry skirt with her green plaid ankle socks she bought back in Motostoke to replace her old tattered ones. The Poliwag shirt is the cherry on top of her hideously mismatched outfit. Ben is going to die laughing when he sees her, she simply can’t wait.<br/><br/></p><p>She thrusts open the fitting room door. “Is it just me or is this skirt <em> berry </em> fashionable?” <br/><br/></p><p>She’s met with a sulky looking Ben, absolutely bursting out of the Poliwag shirt. Maybe he was right when he said it wasn’t his size, but Rey isn’t complaining. The outline of his pecs under the Poliwag’s face is making her mouth turn dry. <br/><br/></p><p>She quickly snaps out of her examination of his toned chest and turns her attention on his face. It’s strange. He’s not laughing at her. In fact, he looks like he’s just seen a ghost with the way his jaw falls open. Not at all the reaction she thought she was going to get when she put on a leppa berry skirt. <br/><br/></p><p>“Well…what do you think?” she goads while raising her eyebrows and twirling around so he could see each and every berry. Maybe he couldn’t see what they were meant to be, the print is very small. But surely he’d be able to with the way his eyes have become laser focused on the pattern. <br/><br/></p><p>Her eyes track the way his adam’s apple bobs as he swallows and drags his eyes back up to hers. Is his face turning pink? <br/><br/></p><p>“It’s uhhh…” he begins only to quickly mash his lips together. He opens his mouth to try again. “It’s uhhh...neat,” he manages to lamely spit out.<br/><br/></p><p>Her eyebrows nearly shoot off her forehead. “Neat?” she squeaks in question, trying not to laugh. “You’re really doubling down on the grandpa persona aren’t you?”<br/><br/></p><p>That seems to shake him out of his stupor, returning his face to his usual scowl. “At least I’m not the one in the—” his lips flop as he gestures to her, “—berry skirt,” he gulps.<br/><br/></p><p>“No,” she draws the word out slowly, “but I see you <em> are </em> wearing the Poliwag shirt,” she comments with a devious smile on her face. “We match!” <br/><br/></p><p>Ben jumps and looks down as if he forgot he was even wearing it. His eyes comically widen as the harsh sound of ripping seams echo throughout the hollow walls of the changing room. “Alright that’s it, we’re leaving.” <br/><br/></p><p>Rey laughs as Ben starts to push her back towards her fitting room. “You know if you rip it, you have to buy it,” she giggles at another ripping sound caused by his flexing biceps.<br/><br/></p><p>Sadly, she couldn’t justify buying anything except the jacket—no matter how pleasing it was to see her and Ben in matching outfits. She silently promises she’ll come back for that berry skirt and Poliwag shirt once she’s champion and can afford to waste money on such things. <br/><br/></p><p>Once they were done with their purchases, Ben had mysteriously explained that he needed to visit an old friend in the city, agreeing to meet up with her again in a couple of hours. She didn’t know Ben was the type to even <em> have </em> friends, but she chose not to mention this. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey couldn’t even find it in her to be mad—she has her reasons for wanting to delay going to Stow-on-Side. <br/><br/></p><p>“Psst.”<br/><br/></p><p>Rey skips down the street, smiling as she passes a young child laughing and playing hopscotch with a Spoink, not a care in the world. <br/><br/></p><p>“Psst.”<br/><br/></p><p>It’s crazy to think that she and Ben were making plans to meet up. Ben could’ve just told her to continue on with her journey<em> alone </em>at this point. But instead, he made sure she wasn’t going to leave without him. The thought makes her giddy with excitement. </p><p><br/>“Psst.” <br/><br/></p><p>Rey isn’t even concerned about him leaving her anymore. She <em> knows </em> Ben will keep his word about this. <br/><br/></p><p>“Psst.”<br/><br/></p><p>Okay <em> what </em> is that noise? Rey comes to a halt, whipping her head around to see a figure standing in the shadow of one of the many castle walls that adorn the city. <br/><br/></p><p>“Are you stalking me or something,” Rey accuses, hoping the fear in her voice isn’t too evident. She squints to get a better look. “Come out and let me see your face.” <br/><br/></p><p>The person in the shadows walks forward. “Not stalking.” He’s tall, dressed in a well-fitted navy suit. His long brown hair is tied back in a low ponytail gathered at the nape of his neck. Rey thinks he looks kind of familiar, but she can’t put her finger on where she knows him from. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey takes an involuntary step back as the man takes a step closer to her, cocking his head. “Heard you want to evolve your Haunter?” he murmurs secretly. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey narrows her eyes. How long has this man been watching her? Ben mentioned that back in the boutique. “What’s it to you?” she asks, trying to inject as much confidence into her voice.<br/><br/></p><p>The man chuckles at her tone, the sound is like pure ice water poured down her back. “I'm also in need of evolving one of my Pokémon. Would you be interested in trading?”<br/><br/></p><p>Rey perks up, suddenly intrigued. The only way to evolve a Haunter would be to trade it. Trading to evolve is a pretty common occurrence for trainers. They would simply trade their Pokémon, let them evolve, and immediately trade them back. It usually involves a huge amount of trust between the trainers to believe them when they say they’ll trade back your Pokémon.<br/><br/></p><p>However, Rey has just met this man. Surely she shouldn’t even <em> think </em> about entertaining the notion of trading with him. <em> But, </em>if she had a <em> Gengar, </em> she’d have a much easier time defeating the next gym. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey’s attention is pulled to some kind of Pokémon prowling in the distance as she ponders the idea. <br/><br/></p><p>The man can sense her hesitation. “I assure you, I have every intention to return your newly evolved Gengar. I find myself very attached to my dear Pokémon.”<br/><br/></p><p>Rey chews on her bottom lip, still unsure. Her attention is again drawn back to the Pokémon in the distance, now jogging down the street. If she squints, she can just make out the outline of a Liepard. The sight is so bizarre it makes her laugh.</p><p><br/>“The trading machine is located in the Hammerlocke stadium,” he continues. If he thinks she’s laughing at him, he shows no sign. “There will be many people around, if that’s something that will make you feel more assured of my honesty.”<br/><br/></p><p>That does make her feel a <em> little </em> better. He’d be less inclined to run away with her Pokémon if there were a huge amount of people nearby.<br/><br/></p><p>Okay, that Liepard is running pretty fast. She wonders where its trainer is. Rey scans the immediate area. <em> Is nobody else noticing this Liepard on the loose? <br/><br/></em></p><p>Her thoughts are inexplicably pulled back to Ben. What would he think about this? Rey rolls her eyes, knowing <em> exactly </em> what he’d say. He’d probably look at her like she was making the biggest mistake of her life. Why is she even <em> thinking </em>about entertaining the thought of trading with a complete stranger? <br/><br/></p><p>She silently laughs at her imagined version of Ben scolding her as she turns to tell the man her decision, but something catches her eye.<br/><br/></p><p>Her laughter abruptly dies in her throat as she spots the Liepard approaching at an alarming speed. Okay this <em> really </em> isn’t funny anymore. It’s actually terrifying. She glances at the man beside her, needing to confirm she’s not hallucinating this giant Liepard coming straight for her. <br/><br/></p><p>“I’ve changed my mind. Maybe I’ll just <em> take </em> your Pokémon.” The slimy smirk that appears on his face jogs her memory, remembering just how she knows this man. However, the realization comes too late.<br/><br/></p><p>The Liepard pounces on Rey, knocking her flat on her back. It’s funny how her first thought goes directly to Ben—thinking how he was right to say she does fall on her ass a lot. He’d get a kick out of being proven right if he could see her now.<br/><br/></p><p>The Liepard’s paws are digging into her torso, keeping her pinned to the ground. Its vicious mouth is inches from her face, giving her a pleasant view of a set of <em>very </em> sharp, snarling teeth. Rey recoils as a drop of drool falls on her cheek with a wet <em> splat. <br/><br/></em></p><p>She twists her head to the side and pinches her eyes and mouth shut, not wanting any of its saliva to get into her orifices. <br/><br/></p><p>“Please don’t eat me,” she hysterically pleads out of the side of her mouth. “I promise I don’t taste that appealing.”<br/><br/></p><p>By some stroke of luck, her pleading actually works. The pressure of the Liepard pressing against her body swiftly dissipates. By the time she gathers enough courage to crack her eyes open a little, it’s nowhere to be found. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey slowly sits up, wincing at the pain throbbing all over her body. She sucks in a sharp breath when she feels her ribs, most likely bruised from the weight of the Liepard. Rey is starting to seriously question what she ever did to deserve this chain of bad luck. <br/><br/></p><p>Her hand continues its inventory of her body, checking for any broken bones. It freezes once she reaches her hip, feeling an unfamiliar bareness. Her head snaps down to look at her empty belt, none of her poké balls in sight. <br/><br/></p><p><em> No. </em>This can’t be happening. She scrambles on all fours, pain forgotten, as she searches the street for her poké balls. Maybe they had just gotten unclipped from the impact of the Liepard. Maybe they just rolled away when she hit the ground. Maybe they—<br/><br/></p><p>Her wandering hands land on something soft, cautiously turning it over in her grip. <br/><br/></p><p>It’s a brown wig. </p><p>
  <em><br/>Team Empire. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>———</p><p> </p><p>There’s only one person Rey wants to see right now. And of course he’s nowhere to be found in this sprawling castle maze of a city. Why couldn’t they have just stuck together? Ben would’ve never let this happen if he was with her. That Liepard would’ve bounced right off his stupid massive body. <br/><br/></p><p>“...and everybody’s been wondering where you’ve been.”<br/><br/></p><p>“I know, Poe,” a deep familiar voice rings out.<br/><br/></p><p>Rey doesn’t care who ‘everyone’ is, she’s just focused on that second voice she’d recognize anywhere. It sounds like it’s coming from the drawbridge behind the Pokémon Center. She picks up her pace, her feet pounding on the wooden slats as she almost runs face first into—<br/><br/></p><p>“Ben!” <br/><br/></p><p>At the sound of her voice, Ben whips around and steadies Rey by her shoulders before she topples down from exhaustion. Her body is bent forward with her hands on her knees trying to catch her breath. <br/><br/></p><p>“Liepard…poké balls…wig,” she tries to explain through gasps of air. “Ribs...<em>ouch,” </em> she winces on an inhale. <br/><br/></p><p>With his hands still on her shoulders, he bends down so his face is eye level with hers. “Rey, you’re not making any sense.” He glances over his shoulder at his companion then back to her, concern pinching his features. “What happened?”<br/><br/></p><p>What does he mean <em> not making any sense? </em> Rey has never made more sense in her entire life. <br/><br/></p><p>She sucks in a big gulp of air— <br/><br/></p><p>“Itriedtotradehaunterbutthenhuxattackedmewithaliepard.” <br/><br/></p><p>—releasing it in one huge breath, silently impressed by her lung capacity. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben is still looking at her like she’s speaking another language. But then again, Ben <em> usually </em> looks at her with that type of expression anyways. <br/><br/></p><p>“Hux?” his curly-haired friend chimes in, able to at least catch <em> one </em> word in her jumbled explanation. He puts a hand on Ben’s arm, making him drop it from Rey’s shoulder so he can step closer to Rey. “Was Team Empire here?” <br/><br/></p><p>Rey looks from the man to Ben. Ben who, judging by the way he’s shooting daggers at the man, doesn’t appreciate being pushed out of the way. But he recovers quickly and focuses his attention back on Rey.<br/><br/></p><p>“Y-yeah,” she shakily replies, her hand automatically reaching for her empty belt. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben’s eyes follow her movement, noticing the lack of poké balls. <br/><br/></p><p>“I don’t know where they went. I was too busy wrestling a Liepard,” she says straight-faced, as if it’s a perfectly normal thing to have happened.<br/><br/></p><p>By the suspicious look Ben and the man exchange, Rey starts to think she really <em>did </em> hallucinate the whole thing. Although, the Liepard drool still stuck to her cheek begs to differ.<br/><br/></p><p>“You weren’t kidding, huh?” Ben’s friend mutters unbelievingly while Ben just shrugs. The corner of his mouth pulls up as he shakes his head and turns to address Rey.<br/><br/></p><p>“Ky—I mean <em> Ben </em> here, has told me all about you and your affinity for picking fights with Pokémon. Rose’s Croagunk, was it? I don’t blame you, that little creep has always given me a bad vibe. But now a Liepard? Are you sure not part Machop?”<br/><br/></p><p>“I’m sorry, <em> who </em> are you?” Rey angrily asks. She doesn't appreciate being compared to a fighting type Pokémon. And she doesn’t like the way his smile seems to be permanently etched onto his face, like he’s always on the verge of laughing.<br/><br/></p><p>Ben can’t help the way his hard expression falters as he snorts from hearing Rey’s question. <br/><br/></p><p>But the man’s smile only grows bigger, ignoring Ben and flashing a dazzling smile as he sticks his hand out. “Hi, I’m Poe. Poe Dameron.” <br/><br/></p><p>Understanding dawns on her face, immediately followed by an embarrassed pink flush. She’d just asked who the strongest gym leader in the region was. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey stretches out a chagrined hand for him to shake, willing herself not to make any more of a fool of herself in front of him. Mid-shake, she realizes something, looking between the two men with confusion lining her face. She didn’t know Ben was friends with a <em> gym leader. <br/><br/></em></p><p>“How do you two know each other?” she can’t help but ask, her curiosity getting the better of her.<br/><br/></p><p>Rey watches as the two men awkwardly share a glance. She purposefully points the question to Ben, but that doesn’t stop Poe from piping up before Ben can even open his mouth. “Oh, Benny and I go way back.” He claps Ben on the back of his neck. <br/><br/></p><p>“Don’t call me that,” Ben grumbles, turning red as he adjusts his hat. <br/><br/></p><p>Poe continues to ignore him. “Ben is part of only a small selection of people to ever beat me in a battle. And that list includes the champion. But that guy’s a real asshole. Actually, him and Ben have that in common.” <br/><br/></p><p>That catches Rey off guard. She knew Ben was a strong trainer, but she didn’t know he was <em> that </em> strong. Her awe must show on her face.<br/><br/></p><p>“He means when we were kids,” Ben quickly corrects, pointedly eyeing his friend. “Right, Poe?” <br/><br/></p><p>Ben looks like he wants to punch the sly smirk that forms on Poe’s face as he sits on the answer. <br/><br/></p><p>Finally, he seems to make up his mind. “That’s right, Ben and I grew up together, always battling. We were actually rivals, if you could believe,” he adds with a chuckle. <br/><br/></p><p>Judging by the murderous look in Ben’s eyes, Rey has no trouble believing that. <br/><br/></p><p>“Hey, you said they took all your poké balls?” Ben swiftly changes the subject before Poe could embarrass him even further. “What about your master ball?”<br/><br/></p><p>Rey’s mouth falls open, completely forgetting all about the master ball stuffed in her backpack, hopefully spared from Hux’s ambush. <br/><br/></p><p>“Hold on, a <em> master ball?” </em> Poe asks as a bewildered expression crosses his face while he watches Rey shuffle through her backpack.<br/><br/></p><p>Team Empire may have stolen most of her Pokémon, but at least they didn’t steal <em> all </em>of them. </p><p><br/>“Come on out here, Ralts!” <br/><br/></p><p>The form of her Ralts materializes in between the three of them, tiny and unassuming. <br/><br/></p><p>Poe’s face falls into a grimace. “A <em> Ralts?” </em>The disappointment can be heard in his voice. <br/><br/></p><p>This is <em> exactly </em> what she was worried would happen when people saw her master ball. Poe continues to circle around her Pokémon, like he’s trying to figure out if Ralts is real. “You used a master ball on a Ralts? What’s so special about her? Did you know a normal poké ball would’ve worked just fine?” he asks slowly, acting like Rey’s the dumbest person he’s ever encountered.<br/><br/></p><p>Rey clenches her fists so hard she can feel her nails biting crescents into her palms. Now she can see why him and Ben are such good friends. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben’s lips quirk up in the ghost of a smile, enjoying that her impending ire isn’t about to be directed towards him for once. <br/><br/></p><p><em> “Yes, </em> I caught a Ralts with a master ball,” she bites the words through her teeth, barely reining in her fury. “And <em> yes, </em> I <em> know </em> a poké ball would’ve worked fine.”<br/><br/></p><p>She peers down at Ralts, still silently watching the exchange with a small look on her face. Rey has an intense urge to protect her Pokémon from Poe’s words. <br/><br/></p><p>“I don’t know how you can call yourself a gym leader yet stand here and insult my Pokémon,” Rey growls. “Maybe that’s just a sign of how insecure <em> you </em> are about <em> your </em> Pokémon.”<br/><br/></p><p>Ben’s hint of a smile has now turned into a full-blown grin, amused by the way Rey is threateningly stepping closer and closer to Poe. <br/><br/></p><p>“My Ralts <em> is </em> special!” Rey bends down to pat her on the head, but hastily backs off when Ralts turns her red-eyed stare on her, the prickly sensation in the periphery of her mind making her feel dizzy. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey shakes her head and recovers, not wanting to humiliate herself by having Ralts incapacitate her in the middle of hyping her up.<br/><br/></p><p>“She’s the Pokémon I’m going to use when I challenge you,” she passionately defends, getting right into Poe’s shocked face. “She’s the Pokémon I’m going to <em> beat </em> you with,” Rey corrects, lowering her voice to sound as threatening as she can. “And that’s a promise.”<br/><br/></p><p>That maddening sly smirk is <em> still </em> on his face, even more irritating from this close up. <br/><br/></p><p>“I look forward to that day,” he calmly states.<br/><br/></p><p>The two of them continue to hold their harsh gazes, sizing each other up, neither one backing down. It isn’t until Ben decides to step in and pull Rey gently back by the shoulder, when she finally looks away from him.</p><p><br/>“I’m sure there’ll be plenty of time for fighting later,” he assures them, like it’s an inevitable fact. “But shouldn’t we be finding your Pokémon?” he reminds her, eyebrows raised in impatience.<br/><br/></p><p>Rey’s throat goes dry, guilt bubbling in her chest. Here she was having a shouting match with a <em> gym leader </em> of all people, when she should’ve been spending that time getting a head start on her search. <br/><br/></p><p>“I-I don’t know which way they went,” she weakly tells them. “How are we supposed to find them?”<br/><br/></p><p>“I’ll go alert the city officials,” Poe confidently says, immediately shifting into gym leader mode. Rey appreciates that despite their quarrel, he is still fully on board to help her. “We’ll have the entire city searched. I’ll get started on the west side.”<br/><br/></p><p>Ben nods, unclipping one of his poké balls. “While you do that, Rey and I will search the east.” </p><p><br/>He releases his Pidgeot, stopping her when she tries to perch on his shoulder. “Pidgeot, I need you to find any signs of Team Empire. Can you do that?” </p><p><br/>“Pidgeot,” she obeys, disappearing in the sky immediately after Ben’s instruction. <br/><br/></p><p>“Alright, let’s go,” he nods determinedly to Poe in dismissal while clapping Rey on the shoulder to get moving. <br/><br/></p><p>Their search takes them to the train station, scouring every nook and cranny for any clue while receiving curious stares from the station employees.<br/><br/></p><p>It’s disconcerting to think that Team Empire could be long gone by now if they chose to take a train. The thought almost makes her start to panic right in front of a train station attendant giving her a dirty look, but she manages to calm herself down. Besides, they didn’t find anything suspicious in the station. <br/><br/></p><p>She doesn’t know if she should be relieved by this revelation or worried. She’d like to think her Pokémon would try to put up some type of fight, maybe leave some clues behind for Rey to find. But there was always the chance that Team Empire would be able to disappear without a trace, never to be seen again.<br/><br/></p><p>The panic starts to reach a boiling point as they climb a set of huge stairs up onto the castle wall, leading to a mini courtyard overlooking the city. <br/><br/></p><p>There’s a giant stone statue of a poké ball in the middle of the courtyard. It feels like it’s <em> mocking </em> her—a glaring reminder of her ineptitude of keeping her own Pokémon safe. Rey leans in and squints at the writing on the plaque, reading that if you touch the statue, you’ll have better luck catching Pokémon. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey scoffs, gloomily inspecting the master ball she’s rolling between her hands. She’d need a <em> much </em> larger statue to rub in order to afford <em> her </em> any such luck. <br/><br/></p><p>The flapping of wings draws her attention to Pidgeot talking to Ben through one of the castle parapets. Rey rushes over just as Pidgeot starts to fly off again.<br/><br/></p><p>“She hasn’t seen anything yet,” he deeply exhales in slight frustration. “But she’s going to keep looking, okay? We’re all going to keep looking,” Ben tries to reassure her, looking back and forth between her eyes, trying to desperately convey his determination to her. <br/><br/></p><p>She jerkily nods, turning away from his gaze when she starts to feel her eyes fill with tears. The sincerity in his voice is too much to handle. She’s not used to having someone else care for her. If this were to have happened to her a month ago, she would’ve expected to face this dilemma all on her own. Ben’s kindness paired with her distress over losing her Pokémon is overwhelming. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey tries to hold it in, she really does. But as soon as she feels the first few drops fall down her cheeks, it’s like the floodgates have opened, all her worries start to pour down her face in an unstoppable waterfall.<br/><br/></p><p>Ben notices. Of <em> course </em> he notices. She isn’t able to turn her body away from him fast enough. <br/><br/></p><p>“Hey,” he stops her with a tentative hand on her shoulder, his face pinched in concern. “Look at me, Rey.” <br/><br/></p><p>She reluctantly twists her body to face him, no matter how hard she wants to run from his gentle grasp. She just knows she looks stupid right now with her red eyes and wobbling lip.<br/><br/></p><p>“I feel like such an idiot,” she whispers, the barest of sounds. “What if I never get them back—” her words come out watery as she rubs her eyes. “What if I never see Gloom—” she can’t even complete the sentence as she dissolves into a fit of tears. <br/><br/></p><p>The heartbreaking expression on Ben’s face is the last thing she sees before he’s pulling her into his body, holding her against his chest. The action is so smooth it feels like he’s done it a thousand times before. He’s got one of his big hands cradling the back of her head, surprisingly gentle. The other is rubbing soothing circles on her upper back. <br/><br/></p><p>“It’s okay, let it out,” he softly rasps. <br/><br/></p><p>The act of kindness is so foreign, so different than their usual way of acting towards each other, it only makes her cry even harder. Ben just holds her through it, absorbing the gut-wrenching sobs that tear through her chest. <br/><br/></p><p>“We’ll find them. I <em> promise,” </em> he ardently whispers against the top of her head. Rey can feel his breath brush featherlight over the loose strands of her hair, his words seeping into her very being.<br/><br/></p><p>Her arms are folded against his chest—crushed when he squeezes her even closer, trying to comfort her as much as he can. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey lightly rests her head against his chest, the last of her tears and shaky breaths swallowed up in his shirt. She wonders if he’ll be mad that she ruined his shirt. Although, the way he pushes the back of her head even closer to him with that massive hand of his tells her differently. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey wants so badly to just stay here, safe in his warm embrace. Her sudden tears have brought the beginnings of a headache with them. She slightly presses her forehead into his chest, trying to ease the pain. Rey hears the breath catch in Ben’s throat at the action.<br/><br/></p><p>As much as she doesn’t want to, Rey reluctantly pulls back a fraction, every fibre of her being protesting the motion. The hand on her head drops to join the one that rests on her back, ceasing his soothing circles.<br/><br/></p><p>Both of them are still pressed together, frozen, as Rey slowly looks up at him. Her eyes land on his neck, watching the hypnotizing way he swallows, and then up further, seeing the way he maps out the dried tear tracks staining her cheeks. Rey tilts her head back, finding it hard to stare into his eyes from this close in proximity. <br/><br/></p><p>Finally, their eyes meet, and Rey feels the furthest away from crying right now. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben inhales a stuttering breath at how close their faces have gotten. They search the depths of each other’s eyes with such longing, Rey fears her legs might buckle if it weren’t for Ben still holding her upright. <br/><br/></p><p>At the feel of Ben’s breath hitting her face, Rey’s lashes flutter down to the source, his full lips are trembling, almost at perfect eye level to her. There’s a small sound that comes from the back of Ben’s throat, but Rey barely hears it, her pulse is pounding in her ears, he surely must hear how fast her heart is thundering in her chest. If she could just move the slightest bit closer…<br/><br/></p><p>“Pidgeot.” <br/><br/></p><p>The spell is suddenly broken, both Rey and Ben breaking apart at the sound of his Pokémon. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben clears his throat, his voice wobbly. “What was that, Pidgeot?” <br/><br/></p><p>The emptiness she feels from the absence of his body is immediate, jarring her back into reality. <br/><br/></p><p>“You saw them?” Ben exclaims, all prior awkwardness erased from his tone at the news. “You saw Team Empire?” <br/><br/></p><p>Rey perks up, hastily brushing the lingering tears from under her eyes, the hug completely forgotten in favour of this new information.<br/><br/></p><p>Ben enthusiastically turns to her. “She said she saw them down by the Hammerlocke Vault. They’re trying to escape over the castle wall. Poe must have the city’s exits blocked off.”<br/><br/></p><p>“What are we waiting for?” Rey exasperatedly asks, grabbing Ben’s arm—the two of them exchanging a quick meaningful glance at the contact—before running off in the direction of the vault. “Thanks Pidgeot!” she fleetingly calls over her shoulder, dragging Ben along.<br/><br/></p><p>She releases him once they reach the bottom of the stairs, both of them sprinting to the other side of the city as fast as they can, garnering many strange looks from the people milling about the streets.<br/><br/></p><p>Ben reaches the vault door first, roughly pulling them open and bursting through. Rey is hot on his heels, climbing the interior stairs until they emerge into the brisk air flowing through the top of the castle wall. <br/><br/></p><p>“I don’t see them,” she says between her heavy panting, winded from the race to get here. Could Pidgeot have been wrong? A sick feeling starts to take root in her stomach. <br/><br/></p><p>“Prepare for the dark side!” Hux jumps down from a higher wall, Phasma right behind him. <br/><br/></p><p>
  <em> Well that explains her sick feeling. </em>
</p><p><br/>“And make it na—”<br/><br/></p><p><em> “Shut up!” </em> Rey huffs, still out of breath. <em> And out of patience. </em> “For the love of Arceus, <em> please </em> shut up. Nobody wants to hear it.”<br/><br/></p><p>Hux and Phasma look frazzled, like no one has ever interrupted their motto before. Which Rey finds <em> very </em> hard to believe. There’s no way in hell she’s ever going to let them get away with what they’ve done. <br/><br/></p><p>“Give me back my Pokémon and maybe I’ll let you walk away with <em> some </em> of your bones intact.” She tries to mimic Ben’s intimidating tone, but she doesn’t do a very good job at it.<br/><br/></p><p>Phasma laughs in that cackling way of hers. “Threats? Are you sure you’re on the right side, dear? We could use someone like you on Team Empire.”<br/><br/></p><p>Rey scowls. “I’ll <em> never </em> join you. I'd never stoop so low as to steal other people’s Pokémon.”<br/><br/></p><p>Hux steps forward, a bag of poké balls rustling in his grip. They must’ve conned a whole bunch of trainers in the city to hand over their Pokémon. <br/><br/></p><p>“You say that,” he pompously drawls, “yet here you stand beside someone who used to do just that.”<br/><br/></p><p>Rey glances over at Ben. He’s uncomfortably moving his clenched jaw back and forth while he sneaks a guilty looking eye towards her. <br/><br/></p><p>“I didn't come here to talk,” Rey spits out, pulling the attention back to the matter at hand. She doesn’t have the time to examine all of her conflicted feelings right now. “I came here to get my Pokémon back,” she says while pulling her master ball out, brandishing it towards them.</p><p><em><br/>That </em> makes them hesitate. Their wary eyes lock onto the ball, suddenly unsure what to do. Hux looks between Ben and Rey, finally making his decision. <br/><br/></p><p>“Go Liepard.” He flings his poké ball into action. Rey comes face-to-face with the beast that almost bit her head off earlier today. The Liepard’s set of sharp teeth are on full display as it growls at her.<br/><br/></p><p>The sight causes Rey to flinch, almost dropping her master ball in the process. “Oh shit,” she mumbles, getting a better grip on it. “Take this! Go Ralts.”<br/><br/></p><p>Team Empire cautiously watches her throw the master ball, confused as they see the form of her Ralts floating above the ground. <br/><br/></p><p>They stare at the sight for a few moments—before promptly breaking out into hearty laughter. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey takes a deeply annoyed breath in through her nose, puffing up her chest while she waits for them to finish. <br/><br/></p><p>“You—you used,” Hux manages to get out before snorting. “You used a,” he tries again, “master ball!” he squeaks out, a full octave higher than his normal speaking voice.<br/><br/></p><p>“Are you done?” Rey rolls her eyes to the sky, preferring to watch the clouds roll by instead of Team Empire practically rolling on the ground almost in tears. Even Liepard falters, its snarl curling into a mischievous grin to match its trainer.<br/><br/></p><p>Phasma grips Hux’s shoulder, the both of them folded over trying to keep each other upright amidst their laughs. “I—I can’t believe you used a master ball on a—on a <em> weakling </em> like that.”<br/><br/></p><p>Rey silently fumes at the sight of them laughing at her Ralts, she wouldn’t be surprised if steam was billowing out of her ears. She’ll show them just how <em> weak </em> Ralts is. She’s tired of everyone underestimating how powerful her tiny Pokémon truly is. Just wait till she hits them with her psychic atta—<br/><br/></p><p>Rey doesn’t even get the chance to finish her <em> thought, </em> before Ralts unleashes her psychic attack on an unsuspecting Liepard, sending it flying back to hit and slide down the stones of the castle wall, completely knocked out. <br/><br/></p><p>Team Empire abruptly stops their laughter, their eyes growing wide at the scene that just unfolded in mere seconds. <br/><br/></p><p>Ralts must’ve read Rey’s mind, following her train of thought to know when to use her psychic attack. But that means she also must’ve heard how Rey believes in her, how powerful she thinks Ralts is.<br/><br/></p><p>Ralts floats its body around to face her, the tiniest smile playing on her lips—an acknowledgment. She <em> did </em> hear everything in Rey’s mind. Rey can’t help but return the smile, feeling overjoyed at their newfound connection. <br/><br/></p><p>“What just happened?” Ben haltingly asks.<br/><br/></p><p>Rey jumps. She forgot Ben was still here.<br/><br/></p><p>“You really need to train your Pokémon to follow your commands and not attack whenever they feel like it,” he unjustly criticizes.<br/><br/></p><p>Rey’s eye twitches. Her irritation with him coming back in full force. He just has to open his big mouth at a time like this when he doesn’t even know what he’s talking about. She’s about to chew him out, but stops when he shoots his hand up to his forehead, wincing in pain.<br/><br/></p><p>She’s puzzled for a second before she realizes just what’s happened. Rey knows Ralts uses the red horns on its head to read the emotions of the people around them. She must’ve read Rey’s pissed off attitude towards Ben and acted out on it. <br/><br/></p><p>“No, Ralts! It’s okay, he’s a friend,” she hurriedly assures her Pokémon. She was angry at Ben for berating her, but not an <em> explode his head in a psychic rage </em>angry. </p><p><br/>“Are you okay?” she asks as she rushes over to him, her annoyance forgotten in favour of making sure Ben isn’t in pain anymore.<br/><br/></p><p>“I’m fine, I’m used to it by now,” he grumbles, adjusting his hat more securely to his head. <br/><br/></p><p>As preposterous as it sounds, Rey finds the action sort of cute, the way his cheeks adorably puff up as he brushes off his pain. <br/><br/></p><p>She <em> really </em> doesn’t want to know if Ralts is feeling the same way Rey is right now. <br/><br/></p><p>But she doesn’t get the chance to discover the answer because Poe bursts onto the castle wall along with his Boldore. <br/><br/></p><p>“They’re getting away,” he shouts, pointing to Team Empire jumping over a parapet, rappelling down the side of the castle wall. <em> Where did they get grappling hooks? <br/><br/></em></p><p>There’s no time to ponder Team Empire’s eclectic escape tactics, they still have Rey’s Pokémon. Rey must’ve been too preoccupied with getting lost in Ben’s eyes to notice them making their escape.</p><p><br/>“Boldore, use rock blast!” Poe commands. <br/><br/></p><p>“No!” Rey protests. But it’s too late—the Boldore shoots rocks at the grappling hooks, dislodging them from the parapet, the screams of Team Empire bouncing off the castle. They still have her poké balls with them. Rey fears they might get crushed as a result of the fall.<br/><br/></p><p>However, her worries prove to be useless, because whizzing over the castle wall is the sack of poké balls, almost colliding with Rey’s face before she speedily grabs it out of the air. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey opens the bag, filled to the brim with all types of poké balls. She can’t help the smile that breaks onto her face, her Pokémon are somewhere safe in this bag, she <em> knows </em> it.<br/><br/></p><p>Rey feels something tugging on her mind, the feeling growing familiar. She looks over to Ralts, who is mirroring her relieved smile. <em> Of course. </em> Ralts must’ve been able to read her panic in her mind about the bag of poké balls being crushed. She must’ve used her telekinesis to stop that from happening. <em> What a clever little Pokémon. </em> The answering smile on Ralts’ face is the biggest Rey’s ever seen. <br/><br/></p><p>Their bonding moment is interrupted by Ben and Poe rushing to bend over the edge of the wall to try and see what has become of Team Empire. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey joins them, peering over the wall to see Hux and Phasma tangled in a jumble of leaves, having landed in a bunch of dense bushes that were able to cushion their fall.<br/><br/></p><p>“They’re not getting away that easily,” Poe declares. “Come on Boldore, we’ve got some criminals to catch.” <br/><br/></p><p>Rey watches as Poe runs back inside the castle, Boldore hobbling as fast as it can to keep up with him.<br/><br/></p><p>“Alright, I’ll admit that was some pretty impressive teamwork between you and Ralts.”<br/><br/></p><p>She turns towards Ben’s praise, her face turning concerned. “Are you sure your head is fine?” she asks as she places the back of her fingers on his forehead. Rey could swear he stops breathing from the moment of contact. <br/><br/></p><p>“I’m okay, really,” he reassures her haltingly, seemingly frozen under her touch. “Better now, actually,” he adds quietly.<br/><br/></p><p>Rey wills her heart to stop fluttering as she slowly slides the back of her fingers lightly down the side of his temple, pulling away from his skin before she reaches his cheek. She’s not brave enough to caress his cheek just yet—no matter how charged the energy between them has been since that hug they shared earlier. </p><p><br/>His mouth parts minutely, slightly surprised by her candor. It reminds her of how close she was to those perfect lips today. Rey can’t believe he went from being someone she wanted to drop kick every time he opened his dumb mouth to wanting to kiss that dumb mouth. <br/><br/></p><p>The feeling is overwhelming.<br/><br/></p><p>A tugging on her mind regretfully pulls her attention behind her, breaking the spell between her and Ben.<br/><br/></p><p>Her eyes lock with Ralts, who is still smiling in her knowing way. She must’ve felt everything Rey was just feeling towards Ben. <em> That’s going to be interesting going forward. </em> Well, interesting or highly embarrassing. Rey guesses she’ll just have to wait and see. Either way, she’s very excited to see just where her new journey with Ralts will take her. <br/><br/></p><p>As if the universe—or Ralts—hears her thoughts, Ralts suddenly starts to glow in a blinding white light. <br/><br/></p><p>“She’s evolving,” Ben murmurs, standing rapt with attention alongside her. <br/><br/></p><p>The evolution only takes seconds, the form of her Ralts morphing into a Kirlia—greeting Rey with a smile as the last of the flashing white lights dissipate.<br/><br/></p><p>Rey finds that she’s no longer regretting ever using her master ball on this spectacular Pokémon.</p><p> </p><p>———</p><p> </p><p>“Are you sure you want to do this?” Poe asks for the tenth time. <br/><br/></p><p>“Yeah, I’m sure,” Rey frustratingly replies in a huff. “As long as you keep your word and trade me right back.” <br/><br/></p><p>“Trust me,” Ben butts in, “there’s no way in hell Poe’s going to want to get stuck with Haunter.”<br/><br/></p><p>Rey rounds on Ben, flames behind her eyes. “I don’t remember asking <em> you.” <br/><br/></em></p><p>The three of them are standing in the trading room in the stadium, Poe volunteering to trade his Boldore for her Haunter, allowing them to evolve and trading them right back. He said it’s the least he could do after she played a crucial role in foiling Team Empire’s plan. <br/><br/></p><p>They had unfortunately managed to disentangle themselves from the shrubbery and escape before Poe could even reach the bottom of the castle. </p><p><br/>But thanks to Ralts—now <em> Kirlia, </em> her mind corrects—they were able to return every single stolen Pokémon back to their trainers. <br/><br/></p><p>“I wouldn’t mind having a Gengar,” Poe scratches his chin, pretending to mull over the thought of stealing her Pokémon. “He may prefer having me as a trainer, you know.” <br/><br/></p><p>“Are we doing this or what?” Rey snaps. She finds it hard enough to be in the presence of <em> one </em> difficult man, she can't fathom another unnecessary second in the presence of <em> two </em> of them.<br/><br/></p><p>Poe raises his hands in mock surrender, not wanting to start another fight. “We’re doing this, relax,” he answers, placing his poké ball on one side of the trading machine while Rey places hers on the other. <br/><br/></p><p>“I feel bad for the champion. He’s not going to stand a chance against your spirit when you stroll in to challenge him,” Poe says, ignoring the choking noise coming from Ben’s direction. </p><p><br/>Poe looks to her for final confirmation, pressing the required buttons at Rey’s nod. “But I just know he’s going to absolutely <em> love </em> you. Don’t you think so, Ben?” <br/><br/></p><p>Rey can hear the grinding of Ben’s teeth from across the room. The sound of the poké balls passing through the machine drown out his answer. <br/><br/></p><p>Both Poe and Rey grasp their newly acquired Pokémon, promptly releasing them in order to evolve. The room is filled with an all-encompassing white glow as the two Pokémon evolve. Boldore into Gigalith and Haunter into Gengar. </p><p><br/>They immediately return them to their poké balls, putting them back through the machine. Rey still doesn’t trust Poe that much. But sure enough, the trade goes through perfectly. Rey can’t grab her poké ball quick enough, snatching it off the machine and releasing Gengar—<br/><br/></p><p>—who immediately teleports behind an unsuspecting Poe, yanking his boxers up in the most painful looking wedgie Rey has even witnessed. <br/><br/></p><p>“Oh, what did I ever do to you?” Poe groans, trying to delicately stuff his underwear back into his pants. Rey and Ben can’t help but dissolve into a fit of giggles at the sight. <br/><br/></p><p>“I don’t think he likes the way you’ve been treating his trainer,” Ben says in between his laughs. “Rey’s Pokémon care very deeply for her.” <br/><br/></p><p>Rey turns her head towards Ben, not letting her hopeful heart get <em> too </em> carried away with the soft look in his eyes—a possibility that it’s not just her Pokémon who care very deeply for her. <br/><br/></p><p>As she watches Gengar kick Poe’s ass, her Pokémon safely returned to her belt, and Ben smiling by her side—Rey thinks she’s got everything she needs to take on the rest of her journey. </p><p>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>rey is definitely going back for that poliwag shirt</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. I Don’t Like Palossand</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Rey had been talking for <em> hours.<br/><br/></em></p><p>Never mind paying attention to the slippery slope of the cliffside they were currently climbing.<br/><br/></p><p>“...and don’t even get me <em> started </em>on Torterra.”</p><p><br/>Apparently airing her grievances about every Pokémon she has a bone to pick with is more important than focusing on not stumbling to a rocky demise. <br/><br/></p><p>It’s taking every ounce of Ben’s concentration not to accidentally tread on a loose stone and undo an entire afternoon's worth of progress they had made on route six.<br/><br/></p><p>Yet here Rey was, climbing this incline like it was second nature. It’s like she could magically detect where the hidden footholds were placed in the rock without even searching for them. She ascended the cliffside with a confidence Ben <em> wished </em> he possessed. And she did it all without even breaking a sweat. <em> Or breaking for a breath.<br/><br/></em></p><p>“There’s a tree growing out of its back,” she says, outraged. “What’s up with that? It’s a turtle tree. How has it survived evolution?”<br/><br/></p><p>Unlike Ben, who’s huffing and puffing trying to keep up with her clearly experienced steps. He can already feel a thick layer of dirt and perspiration forming over his skin. <br/><br/></p><p>He wipes the sweat trickling down his brow with the back of his hand, almost losing his balance when a Diglett pops out of the cliffside to greet him. <br/><br/></p><p>“Oh hey, watch out for those. They might push you over if you step on one,” she nonchalantly throws over her shoulder, continuing to climb with ease. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben gulps as he peers over the ledge, quickly averting his eyes from the abyss before he makes himself dizzy. Ben has loathed heights ever since his uncle Luke forced him to take a joyride on his Altaria when he was a kid. <br/><br/></p><p>“Did you know there’s more Diglett than people in Stow-on-Side? I mean, I'm not an expert or anything,” Rey rambles as the Diglett regards Ben with a curious eye. “I just remember hearing that somewhere—oh! Did you see that Klink back there?”<br/><br/></p><p>Ben hasn’t seen anything besides dirt, dirt, and more dirt. Well, dirt and Rey’s backside as she climbs above him. And while he’s not exactly <em> complaining </em>about the view, he’s not so sure he can blame the pink flush colouring his cheeks on exertion. </p><p><br/>“Talk about grinding my gears,” she huffs out dryly.<br/><br/></p><p>It’s a good thing that Rey seems lost in her own world, otherwise she’d surely scold him if she knew what he’s been staring at for the past few hours. <br/><br/></p><p>But it’s not like it’s <em> his </em> fault. Rey had insisted on leading the climb. She didn’t want Ben to be above her, just in case he fell and sent them <em> both </em> careening down the cliff like a pair of rolling Golems. <br/><br/></p><p>And it was a lot easier to stay calm if he was staring at her and not the terrifying drop awaiting him below. <br/><br/></p><p>“Now don’t get me wrong, you know how much I admire Leia Organa and her steel type Pokémon.” <br/><br/></p><p>Ben’s grip falters at the sound of his mother’s name. He quickly downturns his eyes when Rey peers at him, not wanting to get caught staring. <br/><br/></p><p>“But her Klinklang is a little ridiculous, don’t you think? A bunch of gears?” she questions skeptically. “I’d like to see how strong it would be if it missed an oil bath.”<br/><br/></p><p>Ben grunts noncommittally, not very enthused at the direction this conversation is going. But he can’t help the way his brain goes fuzzy when Rey brings up oil baths. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben shakes his head clear. He can't afford to get lost in a fantasy while he’s dangling from such a precarious height. He quickly racks his brain for other possible Pokémon that Rey might find absurd. <br/><br/></p><p>He tries to clear his throat as best he can, but his voice still comes out raspy. “What about Honchkrow?”<br/><br/></p><p>“Honchkrow!” she blurts out, taking his bait. “They’re just bird mobsters. I didn’t even know Pokémon could form a mafia. Did I ever tell you about that time I ran into one?”<br/><br/></p><p>She doesn’t even give him a chance to answer. But it’s not like he has the energy or capability to anyway. It feels like his throat is lined with a thin layer of dirt. <br/><br/></p><p>“All I did was laugh at that stupid fedora on his head and I swear he looked like he was going to put a hit out on me.” <br/><br/></p><p>He doesn’t know why Rey can’t seem to stop talking. As entertaining as her nervous rambling has been, Ben can’t help but wonder what’s got her so on edge.<br/><br/></p><p>“Really, who did he think he was? The <em> Honchfather?” </em> She barks out a wry laugh. “He wishes!” <br/><br/></p><p>They finally manage to pull themselves onto a wide ledge just as a sandstorm begins to stir. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben plops down on the ground to give his weary legs a break as he digs around his backpack in search of his water bottle. He greedily guzzles down gulps of water, his parched throat grateful for the relief.<br/><br/></p><p>Rey stands proudly by the edge of the precipice, taking in—what Ben assumes is—a fantastic view. There’s no way he’s going to prove that assumption by looking for himself. <br/><br/></p><p>“That wasn’t so difficult, was it?” she comments breezily. Ben chokes on his water. “It was actually kind of fun. I swear I could do that all day,” she says with an easy smile. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben looks over his sad, dirt covered, bedraggled body. “I don’t know if I would use the word <em> fun </em> to describe what just happened,” he says flatly. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben had scaled this very same cliff back when he first went on his Pokémon journey. He distinctly remembers swearing to <em> never </em> subject himself to climbing it again. So why is he here, suspended halfway up its perilous heights for a second time? <br/><br/></p><p>Ben takes a deep breath and shyly peeks through his lashes to look at Rey—glowing radiant as ever as the first golden rays of the sunset begin hitting her just right. <br/><br/></p><p>Oh. <em> That’s </em> why he’s here again.<br/><br/></p><p>All because he just can’t seem to resist the mystical force that draws him towards her.<br/><br/></p><p>“Earth to Ben,” Rey waves a frantic hand in front of his face.<br/><br/></p><p>“Huh?” Ben snaps out of his reverie, his voice still husky from disuse. “What did you say?”<br/><br/></p><p>“I <em> said </em> now would be a good time to put on your sand goggles,” she says, a touch of annoyance in her voice. “This sandstorm looks like it’s about to get especially rough.” <br/><br/></p><p>Ben watches as Rey pulls a scraggly pair of goggles from her backpack, strapping them on her head with delicate precision. They look <em> ancient. </em> Like they were put together using a bunch of mismatched scrap pieces. Like one harsh tug would make them fall apart in an instant. <br/><br/></p><p>But he really shouldn’t be judging. They’d do a way better job at protecting her from the sand than his nonexistent goggles.<br/><br/></p><p>“Uh, I don’t have any sand goggles,” Ben admits, still sitting in his sad heap on the ground.<br/><br/></p><p>“You don’t own sand goggles?” Rey asks unbelievingly as she whips her head down towards him. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben recoils and shields his eyes. “Don’t do that, it makes you look like a Sableye.” <br/><br/></p><p>“If you keep insulting me, I’m not going to show you my secret way to protect yourself from the sand,” she reprimands with her hands on her hips.<br/><br/></p><p>Ben mimes the act of zipping his lips and throwing away the key as he stands up to face her. <br/><br/></p><p>That seems to placate her. “Put on your sunglasses and throw up your hood,” she instructs.<br/><br/></p><p>Ben complies, pulling up his hood before fishing out his hastily purchased sunglasses and setting them on his face. <br/><br/></p><p>“Doesn’t own a pair of sand goggles,” Rey mutters disapprovingly as she fusses with his hood, acting like <em> he’s </em> the abnormal one for not having sand goggles. Honestly, who the hell carries around sand goggles in their backpack? <br/><br/></p><p>“This is your secret way to—”<br/><br/></p><p>Rey pulls the hoodie strings taut over his mouth and ties them in a neat bow, cutting off the end of his sentence. <br/><br/></p><p>She stands back to admire her handiwork with a smirk on her face. “What’s the matter, Ben? Meowth got your tongue?” </p><p><br/>“You think you’re <em> so </em>funny,” he sneers, the words come out muffled.</p><p><br/>“Sorry, what did you say? I can’t hear you,” she says through her smile. “Finally some peace and quiet around here.” </p><p><br/>If his eyes weren’t currently hidden behind his sunglasses, she’d be able to see the way they practically roll into another dimension. It’s like she conveniently forgot who dominated the majority of the conversation today. <br/><br/></p><p>“Come on, let's keep moving before this storm gets really bad.”<br/><br/></p><p>“Hold on,” he protests, his words still muffled. He pulls down the fabric covering his mouth in frustration. “You want to climb in <em> this?” </em> Ben holds his upturned arms out, gesturing to the sandstorm raging around them. <br/><br/></p><p>He spits out a glob of sand that flies into his mouth as if to emphasize just how unreasonable the notion is.<br/><br/></p><p>“This is nothing.” Rey brushes off his worries and makes her way towards the cliff wall. “There’s still some light left. We shouldn’t waste it.” She shrugs and peers over her shoulder at him. “Unless you’re too scared to continue?” <br/><br/></p><p>She poses the question innocently, but Ben can hear the teasing lilt just dancing on the edge of her tone. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben is, without a doubt, too scared to continue. But he’s not about to admit that to Rey. No need to let her add his fear of heights to her list of things to tease him with.<br/><br/></p><p>“Let’s go,” he gruffly says. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey pulls up her own hood, moving out of Ben’s way as he storms up to the wall, letting him lead the charge. His confidence falters as soon as he gets a meter above the ledge. He should’ve just swallowed his pride and admitted he’d rather just call it a day instead of partaking in this foolish decision. But it was too late now. The two of them had made it too far up to consider turning back now.<br/><br/></p><p>The sandstorm has picked up considerably in the last few minutes, making it nearly impossible to see anything in front of him. After the third time his foot slips off the rocks, he feels Rey gently grab hold of his ankle to try and get his attention.<br/><br/></p><p>“Over here,” she tries to project her voice. It’s hard to hear her over the grating sound of the sand whipping around his head. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey climbs up beside him and shuffles sideways until she reaches a ledge, disappearing into what looks like a hidden cave built into the cliffside.<br/><br/></p><p>He carefully follows her, watching as she reappears at the cave mouth and reaches out her hand. He’s just barely able to grasp her outstretched hand, allowing her to yank him in. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben isn’t able to anticipate the force at which Rey pulls, causing him to smack his head against hers—the two of them stumble to the ground from the impact. Ben just manages to stick his arms out to catch his fall before he crushes Rey. But the action results in him being suspended inches above her face.<br/><br/></p><p>It feels like time has slowed as he lays here staring at her face. It’s impossible to believe that Ben will ever grow tired of looking at Rey. Admiring her lovely, beautiful, perfect—<br/><br/></p><p>“Ass!” Rey grunts, trying to shove him off of her. “You complete and utter ass.” <br/><br/></p><p>After she lands one solid push to his shoulder, Ben rolls to the side and swipes off his hood and sunglasses, watching as Rey cradles her forehead in pain. It seems like she took the brunt of the impact, his own head feels perfectly fine. <br/><br/></p><p>“Your thick head broke my sand goggles,” she moans as she slowly removes her hands from her face—the pieces of her goggles crumbling in her cupped palms. <br/><br/></p><p>“Well, that wouldn’t have happened if you didn’t insist on continuing to climb,” he bites back.<br/><br/></p><p>Rey drops the pieces on the ground as she shoots him a glare. “If you didn’t want to keep going, you should’ve said something.”<br/><br/></p><p>“Yeah, right,” Ben scoffs. “Like you would’ve heard me over your endless monologue about all the dumb Pokémon you dislike. I could barely get a word in with your nonstop talking today.”<br/><br/></p><p>Rey jumps up from her position on the ground to stand above him. She clenches her fists so hard that her knuckles turn white. “That’s pretty ironic coming from you. You’re the one who’s always opening up your big mouth when you don’t know what you’re talking about.”<br/><br/></p><p>Ben pushes off the ground to meet her. “Well, clearly I <em> do </em> know what I’m talking about, because if you listened to me, we wouldn’t be stuck in this situation.” <br/><br/></p><p>As if on cue, a gust of wind blows a wave of sand into the cave entrance as if to emphasize his point. <br/><br/></p><p>“So this is all my fault? I’m the one who found the cave and saved your sorry ass from the sand!” Rey growls right in his face. “And how do you repay me? By smashing my goggles to bits!”<br/><br/></p><p>“You saved me by telling me to put on sunglasses. A <em> child </em> could have figured that out. And your goggles looked like they were made by one too. I did you a favour by breaking them.”<br/><br/></p><p>“You’re the worst!” Rey shouts. Her entire body is vibrating in barely contained rage. <br/><br/></p><p>“Yeah well get used to it, sweetheart. You’re stuck in this cave with me <em> at least </em> until the morning.” <br/><br/></p><p>Rey continues to hold his gaze, breathing shakily as her body slowly calms down. Suddenly, her eyes flutter to the ground and her shoulders slump as she dejectedly turns away from him.<br/><br/></p><p>Ben thinks his heart splits in two as he watches her crouch down to sit on her heels and carefully scoop up the broken goggle pieces. <br/><br/></p><p>The sound of her sniffling cuts through the silence as she collects her belongings and starts to unravel her sleeping bag near the back of the cave—the farthest possible spot from Ben.<br/><br/></p><p><em> What has he done? </em> </p><p> </p><p>———</p><p> </p><p>How could Ben have let this happen? He thought he was making progress with her. Just a couple of days ago he held Rey in his arms as she cried—provided her with his own sort of comfort. It felt so <em> right </em> to hold her close to him. She fit perfectly against his body. Like that was exactly where she was meant to be.<br/><br/></p><p>Now, he couldn’t feel more opposite of that as he sits uncomfortably against the cave wall while he stares at the hypnotic way Rey’s back lightly moves up and down as she breathes. <br/><br/></p><p>He didn’t want to start a campfire in the cave, but he also didn’t want her to freeze all night. So he settled on releasing Growlithe and sending him over to cuddle beside Rey to keep her warm. But all she did was gently shoo him away to hang out with Gloom.<br/><br/></p><p>Speaking of Gloom, Ben doesn’t know how much longer he can take being on the receiving end of his evil eye. Every time he chances a peek at Rey’s little Pokémon across the cave, he looks like he’s about one second away from running over and kicking Ben in the shins.<br/><br/></p><p>He fears that moment has finally come when Gloom takes one more look from Rey to Ben before shuffling to his feet and menacingly marching towards him. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben instinctively tucks his legs into a crossed position to ensure their safety, but his caution is unnecessary. <br/><br/></p><p>“Gloom,” Gloom furiously huffs, pointing to Ben’s chest and then to Rey. </p><p><br/>“She doesn’t want to talk to me,” Ben mutters.<br/><br/></p><p>Gloom looks thoughtful for a moment before he starts ruffling around in Ben’s backpack. The action makes Ben crack a wry smile. <em> Just like his trainer. </em>Rummaging around in something that doesn’t belong to him.</p><p><br/>He pulls out a package of mushrooms Ben had bought from a trader back in the wild area. Gloom shakes the bag and sharply jerks his head towards Rey, obviously suggesting to win her over with food.<br/><br/></p><p>Gloom slaps Ben’s shoe and shoves the mushrooms into his chest to hurry him up. <br/><br/></p><p>“Alright, alright, no need to get violent,” he whines. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben doesn’t know how well this plan will work, but he’s willing to try anything if it means Rey will stop being mad at him. He crosses the cave and lays the mushrooms next to her head.</p><p><br/>“Hey, Rey,” he says quietly. “I’ve got some food here if you want to eat. You shouldn’t go to bed on an empty stomach.”<br/><br/></p><p>There’s no response from Rey, who’s lying as still as possible. Ben swallows nervously as he turns back around to look at Gloom.<br/><br/></p><p>Gloom’s eyes are wide as he slowly drags his hand across his throat—attempting to threaten Ben. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben feels helpless as he turns back to Rey. He doesn’t want to crawl back in defeat and face Gloom’s wrath. </p><p><br/>“Rey,” he tries again. “Look, I shouldn’t have said those things to you. I think I was just agitated from climbing all day. I’m not the biggest fan of heights as you’ve probably guessed,” he laughs awkwardly. <br/><br/></p><p>His eyes land on the pieces of her goggles sitting sadly in the dirt. “I guess what I’m trying to say is—I’m sorry. I’m sorry for breaking your goggles. I didn’t mean to hurt you. But I’m sorry I did. I never want to make you sad, Rey.”<br/><br/></p><p>The end of his apology comes out in a raspy whisper. It’s ridiculous that Ben feels close to tears right now. It’s just that the thought of Rey being genuinely hurt by his actions is too much to bear.<br/><br/></p><p>“I’m sorry you’re stuck in here with someone you hate,” he whispers despondently. <br/><br/></p><p>He wants so badly to lay his hand on her arm and soothe her, but he resists the desire. That’s probably the last thing she wants right now. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben walks away before he does something truly stupid. Well, something even more stupid than what he’s already done. <br/><br/></p><p>Even Gloom is back to looking sullen and defeated as Ben walks past him, not knowing what to do to help cheer up his trainer.<br/><br/></p><p>Ben busies himself with grabbing his sleeping bag and dragging it to the cave entrance. The sandstorm has stopped its barrage by now. He crawls on top of his sleeping bag and stares at the stars lighting the night sky. <br/><br/></p><p>He’s so caught up in his stargazing that he doesn’t realize Rey is standing right behind him. Ben jumps when he hears the rustling of her sleeping bag stiffly clutched in her hands.<br/><br/></p><p>“Do you mind if I sit with you?” she hesitantly asks.</p><p><br/>Ben blinks. Whatever he was expecting her to say, it definitely wasn’t asking permission to sit with him. <br/><br/></p><p>His mouth parts minutely as he shakes his head. “I don’t mind,” he meekly offers.<br/><br/></p><p>Rey nods and carefully sets her sleeping bag beside him, mindful not to disrupt the sand residue that has collected by the cave mouth. She sits down on top of it and pulls her knees to her chest, joining Ben’s examination of the stars.<br/><br/></p><p>They sit in silence for what seems like hours—when really it’s only been minutes. A crinkling sound draws Ben’s attention back in the cave. When he looks behind him, he sees Gloom and Growlithe teaming up to tear into his package of mushrooms, happily munching away. The scene brings a smile to his face, despite the somber mood of the night. <br/><br/></p><p>“A child did make those goggles.”<br/><br/></p><p>Ben’s smile falters when he hears Rey’s eerily calm voice. She’s still facing forward with her eyes studiously fixed on the stars. <br/><br/></p><p>“I made them when I was just a kid—scavenged the parts myself. I couldn’t have survived living in Stow-on-Side without them.”<br/><br/></p><p>Ben holds his breath as he listens to Rey. He didn’t know she was from Stow-on-Side. But that definitely explains her climbing expertise. <br/><br/></p><p>“My uncle ran a shady bargain shop selling all sorts of stuff. He used to make me go out in the desert looking for things he could sell—rare bones, razor claws, whatever I could find,” Rey sighs as her eyes drop to her lap. “If I didn’t bring him enough at the end of the day, he wouldn’t feed me.”<br/><br/></p><p>Ben’s expression hardens as he thinks about a young Rey starving because of this monster. He has an intense urge to pay this uncle a little visit.<br/><br/></p><p>“I’m sorry for getting angry at you today. I know you didn’t mean to break my goggles. I’m just—” she takes in a deep stuttering breath through her mouth. “I’m just…nervous. I’m scared to go back to Stow-on-Side.”<br/><br/></p><p>So <em> that’s </em> why she’s been rambling nonstop today. <br/><br/></p><p>“I don’t know if I’m ready to face my uncle and everyone else I left in the dust. But I want to show them just how powerful I’ve become without them.” Her voice starts to pick up momentum. “Prove how strong I am to everyone who ever doubted me in that good-for-nothing town.” <br/><br/></p><p>The emotion in her tone is almost palpable. <br/><br/></p><p>“Do you believe in fate?” she asks suddenly, turning to face him.<br/><br/></p><p>“I don’t know,” Ben slowly admits, caught off guard. “I’ve never really thought about it much.” He’s not one to believe in what his dad would call ‘mumbo jumbo.’ <br/><br/></p><p>Rey nods solemnly, accepting his answer. “I was scavenging once in this really bad sandstorm—I’m talking sheets and sheets of sand just buffeting into me. Completely unforgiving. I thought I was going to die out there—the sand burying my body so no one would ever be able to find me.” She snorts humourlessly. “Not that anyone would try to.”<br/><br/></p><p>Ben’s about to disagree, but she continues.<br/><br/></p><p>“I managed to take shelter under this giant rock formation. I just stayed there for hours waiting for the storm to let up. And sure enough, it did.”<br/><br/></p><p>Rey’s eyes turn glassy as she recounts her story. “Once the storm had settled, I saw something in the distance. It looked like a plant—I thought it was a mirage. That happens all the time in the desert,” she explains. “But the closer I got to it, I realized it was real. Just five green leaves jutting out of the sand.”<br/><br/></p><p>The hair on the back of his neck starts to rise when he senses where this story is going.<br/><br/></p><p>“I never encountered any plants growing in the desert before. So my first instinct was to pull the leaves out so I could add them to my collection of other rare items I found while scavenging.”<br/><br/></p><p>Rey laughs softly. “So imagine my surprise when I tug the leaves out, only to come face-to-face with a terrified Oddish. He got stuck in the sandstorm just like me.” Her voice drops down to a whisper. “He would’ve been stuck there forever if I didn’t pull him out.”<br/><br/></p><p>She turns to stare fondly at Gloom tucked up against Growlithe, snoring away with a belly full of mushrooms.<br/><br/></p><p>“What are the odds? What was a grass Pokémon doing in the middle of the desert?” <br/><br/></p><p>“You were meant to find each other,” Ben blurts. He’s surprised by the unwavering confidence in his voice. <br/><br/></p><p>The two of them fall back into a comfortable silence as they lift their heads to the sky and watch the stars pass by.<br/><br/></p><p>“I don’t hate you,” Rey breathes into the still of the night. Like she’s telling him her deepest secret.<br/><br/></p><p>It certainly feels like that’s the case with the way his heart starts racing. </p><p><br/>“I think it’s fate that we met. Fate that brought us together,” she declares. “You and I were meant to find each other too,” she echoes back his own words. “I’m <em> glad </em> we started walking in the same direction on that day we first met. If I had to do it all over again, I’d <em> still </em> choose to walk in that same direction every time.”<br/><br/></p><p>Ben must be dreaming. That’s the only possible explanation for what he’s hearing right now.<br/><br/></p><p>As much as he wants to accept her sweet words as truth, he can’t block out the voice at the back of his head telling him he doesn’t deserve this. He doesn’t deserve her kindness. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben lets out a bitter laugh that makes Rey turn to him in confusion. <br/><br/></p><p>“You really still feel that way after knowing I was part of Team Empire?” It comes out a lot harsher than he intended, but he can’t help it with the way his mind is muddled with conflicted emotions.<br/><br/></p><p>“I’m not a good person. I—I stole…” he hesitates. <br/><br/></p><p>“Tell me,” Rey gently encourages, turning her entire body to face him as she gives him her undivided attention. “I want to understand.”<br/><br/></p><p>Ben squeezes his eyes shut and takes a deep breath—knowing that what he says next has the potential to ruin everything he’s built with her.<br/><br/></p><p>“There are a lot of…<em> strong </em> trainers in my family,” Ben haltingly begins to explain. He doesn’t want to let anything accidentally slip. Rey still doesn’t know his mother and uncle are part of the elite four. <br/><br/></p><p>“It was a lot of pressure growing up with their legacies on my shoulders.”<br/><br/></p><p>That’s one of the reasons Ben changed his name to <em> Kylo Ren </em> when he became champion. He wanted people to respect him for how strong he was as an individual, not because they recognized his family name—whether that be Solo, Organa, or Skywalker. He wasn’t interested in being tied to those legacies. He wanted to create his own.<br/><br/></p><p>“That kind of pressure drew me into the wrong crowd. I made some bad decisions all because I didn’t want to follow the path my family carved out for me.”<br/><br/></p><p>Ben tentatively opens his eyes to find Rey listening to him with rapt attention. There’s no trace of judgment in her features, so Ben takes that as a sign to continue.<br/><br/></p><p>“There was a man named Snoke.” He speaks his name low and full of contempt. “He filled my head with all sorts of poisonous thoughts. He used my insecurities about my family to lure me into joining Team Empire by promising that he could turn me into the most powerful trainer in the region.”<br/><br/></p><p>Ben laughs humorlessly. He <em> did </em> become the strongest trainer in the region, but that wasn’t Snoke’s doing. <em> At least not directly. <br/><br/></em></p><p>“I quickly realized that Team Empire wasn’t this honourable organization that Snoke made it out to be.” Ben bites the inside of his cheek and nervously rubs some sand between his fingers. <br/><br/></p><p>“We would steal trainers’ Pokémon for Snoke’s gain. He’d tell us that it was necessary so that he could grow stronger, so that nobody would be able to defy him and the ‘sith’—that’s what he would call his inner circle of cronies—a group of people who were only interested in the exploitation of Pokémon.”<br/><br/></p><p>Ben focuses on a single twinkling star instead of Rey. He can’t bear to see her reaction.<br/><br/></p><p>“I should have seen that what we were doing was wrong, but Snoke had his claws sunk too deep in me,” he whispers. “There was a plan that involved stealing a lot of high profile trainers’ Pokémon. My mom happened to be on that list.”<br/><br/></p><p>He clenches the fabric of his sleeping bag in a tight grasp. “I couldn’t do it,” he hauntingly admits. “I tipped my mom off about his plan and ran away that very same night.”<br/><br/></p><p>Ben releases the sleeping bag and smooths out the wrinkles his fist created. “I disappeared for a while. Trained my Pokémon to be the very best they could be.”<br/><br/></p><p>He doesn’t tell her that this is when he embarked on his own Pokémon journey and earned all eight of his gym badges.<br/><br/></p><p>“When I finally resurfaced, I challenged Snoke to a battle.”<br/><br/></p><p>He also conveniently doesn’t mention that Snoke had become champion at this point. Poisoning the Pokémon League from such a crucial position of power. <br/><br/></p><p>“I beat him,” he says simply. Ben was responsible for defeating Snoke and overtaking his champion status. His parents were so happy, so <em> proud </em> of what he did, that they welcomed him home with open arms, fully forgiving him for what he had done. Even though Ben knew he didn’t deserve their forgiveness. “I haven’t seen Snoke since. But he must still be around if Team Empire continues to operate.”<br/><br/></p><p><em> There. </em> It’s out there now. Maybe now she’ll finally realize what a horrible person he is. <br/><br/></p><p>“Okay,” Rey mumbles, her eyes back on the stars.<br/><br/></p><p>Ben slowly roams his eyes over her profile. “Okay?” he questions. “Just okay? Did you hear everything I just said?” <br/><br/></p><p>Rey snaps her head towards him in mild annoyance. “I may have some leftover sand in my ears, but yeah I heard you, Ben.” She lays her hand down flat in the space between them. “And I still don’t hate you,” she offers quietly.<br/><br/></p><p>Ben cautiously stares at the back of her hand. “But I—I did horrible things,” he shakes his head unconvincingly. “Atrocious things.”<br/><br/></p><p>“But you left them. You’re <em> here </em> now,” she insists. <br/><br/></p><p>“Only because he went after my mother,” Ben spits out, ashamed. “What about all those other people I stole from? I didn’t hesitate when it came to them.”<br/><br/></p><p>Rey looks at him with such sincerity on her face it makes his stomach twist in knots. “You can’t change the past. But you <em> can </em> shape your future.”<br/><br/></p><p>She shifts a tiny bit closer to him, sending his heart into a flutter. “You’ve changed, Ben. Just last week you helped stop Team Empire from stealing a bunch of Pokémon. I know you’re an old man, but did you already forget that happened?” she asks through a tiny smile.<br/><br/></p><p>It catches him so off guard, he can’t help but huff out a surprised laugh. The sound makes Rey’s smile grow even wider.<br/><br/></p><p>“You’re not the same person you were back then,” she whispers adamantly. “You're <em> good, </em> Ben. I’ll tell you every day if I have to.” <br/><br/></p><p>Now <em> that </em> sounds too good to be true. But that doesn’t stop Ben from letting himself get lost in the possibility that Rey truly means that. He tries to believe it’s true. For Rey, he’ll try. <br/><br/></p><p>If she believes so wholeheartedly that he’s a good person, then maybe it <em> is </em> true. <br/><br/></p><p>“I mean it,” she says while gently nudging her shoulder against his. “I can be real stubborn when I need to be.”<br/><br/></p><p>Ben snorts. “Don’t I know it.” He doesn’t doubt that for a second, having plenty of firsthand knowledge of her stubbornness. “You and Mudbray have a lot more in common than you think.”<br/><br/></p><p>That earns him another playful shove from Rey. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben chuckles, an air of lightheartedness settles over him. “My dad always said the Solo men love being pushed around by headstrong women.” <br/><br/></p><p>It feels like a weight has been lifted off his shoulders after his confession. The feeling is only heightened by her positive reaction. She didn’t think he was a monster. It almost makes him want to confess the other secret he’s been keeping from her. Maybe she would forgive him for not telling her about being the champion. </p><p><br/>Ben makes the decision before he loses his nerve. “Rey, I need to tell you something—”<br/><br/></p><p>“Solo?” <br/><br/></p><p>His eyes snap up to her in recognition of his name. Her own eyes mirror his bewildered ones.  <br/><br/></p><p>“Your last name is Solo?”</p><p><em><br/>Fuck. </em> He must've been too blissed out in his carefree state to realize he said his last name. <br/><br/></p><p>“Are you related to Han Solo?” she asks incredulously. “Wait, is he your <em> dad?”  </em></p><p><em><br/>Shit shit shit. </em> If she recognizes his father's name then she must know that he’s married to her favourite elite four member. Ben’s just waiting for the moment she connects the dots and realizes that his dad is known for marrying the famous Leia Organa. <br/><br/></p><p>“Han Solo the famous<em> egg</em> <em>smuggler?” </em></p><p>
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  <em>Or not.</em>
</p><p><br/>“He’s like a legend in Stow-on-Side,” she explains excitedly. “My uncle bought a shipment of eggs from him once. But it turns out they were just rocks painted in different designs to <em> look </em> like eggs.”<br/><br/></p><p>Ben simultaneously groans and lets out a sigh of relief. She must not know who Han is married to. He silently thanks his mother for keeping her own last name. <br/><br/></p><p>“Yeah, that sure sounds like my dad. Mind you, he does run a <em> legitimate </em> breeding business,” Ben is quick to defend. “But he has been known to smuggle the rare egg here and there. It’s not all just painted rocks.”<br/><br/></p><p>Rey laughs and gives her shoulders a great big shrug. “I’m not complaining about the rocks. My uncle was furious. It was one of the funniest moments of my life,” she recalls fondly.<br/><br/></p><p>“You know, those dice I gave you belong to him.”<br/><br/></p><p>Her eyes widen in wonder. “Really?” she asks, completely awestruck.<br/><br/></p><p>Ben nods. “He always said they were his good luck charm. That’s why he handed them down to me.” <br/><br/></p><p><em> And now to you, </em>he thinks as he watches her pull the dice from her jacket pocket, examining them in a new light. His heart tugs at the fact that she keeps them so close to her instead of hiding them away in her backpack. <br/><br/></p><p>It’s funny to think that the two of them shared a connection even before they knew each other. Little did Rey know that she’d be traveling the region with that smuggler's son all these years later. <br/><br/></p><p>Even more bizarre, is the fact that Rey now owned objects from <em> both </em> his parents—his father’s dice <em> and </em> the hat his mom awarded Rey for winning that ridiculous Bellsprout impersonation contest. <br/><br/></p><p>Maybe Ben needs to rethink his stance on fate.<br/><br/></p><p>“Hey,” she says suddenly, tearing her eyes from the dice. “What were you going to say earlier before I interrupted you? You said you needed to tell me something?” <br/><br/></p><p>Ben licks his lips as his blood runs cold. He was fully prepared to tell her the truth about his identity moments ago.<br/><br/></p><p>But as he stares at Rey’s curious face illuminated by the starlight while she anticipates his answer—Ben finds that all his courage has drastically left his body. <br/><br/></p><p>“I was just going to ask what your thoughts are on Palossand.”<br/><br/></p><p>“Ugh,” she grimaces. “Please don’t get me started on Palossand. It’s literally a sand castle!” She gestures to the ground beneath them. “We could make a Palossand right now if we wanted to, that’s how absurd of a Pokémon it is.”<br/><br/></p><p>“I think it’s a pretty interesting Pokémon actually,” Ben mumbles.<br/><br/></p><p>“Don’t make me fling you off this cliff,” she says flatly. <br/><br/></p><p>“Not fair, you know I’m afraid of heights.” <br/><br/></p><p>“What makes you so scared of them?” she asks suspiciously.<br/><br/></p><p>Ben averts his eyes. “No reason,” he says too quickly. Flashes of a shrieking Altaria and broken tree branches flit through his mind. <br/><br/></p><p>She narrows her eyes at him. “All right, keep your secrets. I just don’t understand why you’d voluntarily climb a cliff when you claim to hate heights so much,” she smiles easily at him before tilting her head up to the sky. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben can’t believe she doesn’t see it. <em> It’s because of you. Can’t you see? It’s all for you. <br/><br/></em></p><p>He glances down at her hand still settled on the ground between them. Ben takes a deep breath, musters up his courage, and carefully places his own hand on top of hers. <br/><br/></p><p>“I agree, you know,” he murmurs, suddenly serious. “I think we were meant to find each other too.”<br/><br/></p><p>Rey parts her lips in surprise as she looks down at the way his hand completely engulfs her own. She recovers quickly and gently flips her hand around to twine their fingers together, peering back up at him with a shy smile.<br/><br/></p><p>As he returns her gaze, Ben thinks that nothing has ever felt as <em> right </em>as this. Her hand is so warm in his grasp. The sensation of her skin against his lights every single one of his nerves on fire. </p><p><br/>He feels <em> complete. </em> Like this is exactly where he’s supposed to be. They fit perfectly together. <br/><br/></p><p>The night sky is filled with billions of luminous stars, but they appear dim in comparison to the magnificent one shining right across from him. </p><p> </p><p>———</p><p> </p><p>The crowd's roar is deafening from Ben’s huddled position at the top of the stadium. <br/><br/></p><p><em> Nothing surprising about that. </em> Ben is used to the way people adore Rey by now. <br/><br/></p><p>The cheering fades to background noise as he fixes his attention on center pitch, watching the gym leader Maz place the ghost badge in Rey’s open palm. <br/><br/></p><p>Never has Rey beaten a gym as fast as she did today—Gengar proving himself to be quite the powerhouse, single-handedly defeating Maz’s entire team. Just like Rey has proved to the people of Stow-on-Side just how strong she’s become. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey’s smile is absolutely dazzling as she holds the badge up for Gengar to examine—the two of them relishing in their win. <br/><br/></p><p>Even from this distance, he’s still able to see the glint of his father's dice dangling in Rey’s hand. <br/><br/></p><p>When he looks back at Rey’s face, he swears she’s looking right at him. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben’s breath catches in his throat. Maybe fate isn’t just a load of <em> mumbo jumbo.  </em></p><p>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>backstories: unlocked</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Don’t Everybody Miltank Me At Once</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Glimwood Tangle is like nothing Rey has ever seen before. The maze-like forest is filled with an endless amount of dense trees, blocking out all traces of the sun and sky. Only the big luminescent mushrooms scattered around the forest provide a semblance of light in the otherwise dark woodland. <br/><br/></p><p>One would think that this magical forest is the reason for the dazed expression currently inhabiting Rey’s face. <br/><br/></p><p>But that is simply not the case. The neon mushrooms have nothing to do with the way Rey’s jaw has dropped so low that her chin is practically tickling the grass of the forest floor. <br/><br/></p><p>As beautiful as this forest is, it doesn’t compare to the mesmerizing sight of Ben as he trains with his Garchomp. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey had groggily stumbled out of her sleeping bag this morning to find Ben and his dragon Pokémon weaving between the mushrooms in figure-eight patterns as they practiced some kind of drill.  <br/><br/></p><p>He’s stripped down to a tank top—black, <em> of course. </em> Rey is seriously starting to question whether he owns any colour in his wardrobe. <br/><br/></p><p>But her mind doesn’t ponder the mysteries of Ben’s fashion sense for too long—she’s not trying to get a headache. Instead, she’s too preoccupied with the way his usually hidden biceps are on full display, glistening with perspiration from his workout.<br/><br/></p><p>“Come on, Garchomp, ten more rounds. You can do it,” he encourages while bouncing on the balls of his feet. <br/><br/></p><p>The action makes his sweat dampened hair sway enticingly around the frame of his face. Rey’s mouth is suddenly feeling a lot drier than usual.<br/><br/></p><p>However, she swiftly snaps her jaw shut when Ben throws a short glance her way, averting her eyes and pretending to be busy with getting the tangles out of her sleep-tousled hair. <br/><br/></p><p>When she chances a sneaky peek through her lashes, his eyes are back on Garchomp.<br/><br/></p><p>“Good job. Now drop and give me twenty.”<br/><br/></p><p>Rey blinks slowly. He speaks with such authority, that <em> Rey </em> almost falls off the log she’s slumped on in her haste to obey his command.<br/><br/></p><p>She catches herself at the last second, staying upright and keeping her dignity as she continues to watch the spectacle—it’s not every day she witnesses a Garchomp doing push-ups. <br/><br/></p><p>But no matter how unique the sight is, she can’t seem to take her eyes off of Ben’s arms as he pushes off from the ground in steady movements. <br/><br/></p><p>They’re just so <em> massive. </em> She doesn’t even think she can wrap <em> both </em> of her hands around one of his biceps. <br/><br/></p><p>And just like his face, Rey finds that his arms are also dusted with light freckles and beauty marks. It makes her wonder just how much of his body is covered in the pretty pattern. <br/><br/></p><p>“That’s it,” Ben says breathily. His voice is strained from his effort. “Five more, you’re doing so well.”<br/><br/></p><p>As if it were possible, Rey thinks her brain short circuits. She’s about to drop and give him twenty just so he can tell <em> her </em> how well she’s doing in that deep, encouraging tone. <br/><br/></p><p>Thankfully, they finish before she can embarrass herself. <br/><br/></p><p>“Great hustle today, that’s the type of effort I’m looking for,” he praises while getting back on his feet, clapping Garchomp on the shoulder. “Now go take a break. You deserve it.”<br/><br/></p><p>Garchomp lumbers over to join Hatterene and Kirlia, where the two of them are enjoying some breakfast. The two fairy Pokémon are basking in the energy of the mystical forest, completely in their element.<br/><br/></p><p>Rey continues to fight a losing battle with her tangled hair as she watches Ben take a drink from his water bottle. Her attention is captivated by a single drop of sweat sliding down the pale column of his throat as he swallows. <br/><br/></p><p>The distraction causes her fingers to accidentally snag on a knot of hair. She hisses in pain, drawing a concerned look from Ben before he starts to make his way over to her. <br/><br/></p><p>“You know it wouldn’t hurt to train your own Pokémon like that. I could teach you that workout, if you want,” he says while lifting the hem of his tank top to wipe the sweat off his face, causing his entire abdomen to be on full display. “It’s a great way to practice agility.” <br/><br/></p><p>“A-agility?” she weakly stammers, finding it hard to breathe all of a sudden. At least now her curiosity is satisfied in knowing that his beauty marks don’t stop on his arms. <br/><br/></p><p>“Yeah,” he continues, completely oblivious to the way she’s blushing from her hairline down to her toes. “Since Garchomp’s such a big Pokémon, it’s crucial to work on his speed levels. I’d be happy to show Gloom a few tricks.”<br/><br/></p><p>“Uhhh,” Rey hesitates, her brain still trying to process the sight of his sweaty abs. She reluctantly peels her eyes away from Ben to roam over the ferocious form of Garchomp slicing into his breakfast with razor sharp claws.<br/><br/></p><p>Then her eyes settle on Gloom—passed out in some bushes after eating a big breakfast, blowing drool bubbles from his mouth.<br/><br/></p><p>“Uh, maybe some other time,” she says at the exact same time that one of the drool bubbles pop. Rey doesn’t even want to <em> think </em> about how Gloom would fare next to Garchomp. “Thanks, though.”<br/><br/></p><p>Rey continues to tug on her hair, swearing that this is the last time she falls asleep without brushing through it. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben nods then furrows his brow as he watches her struggle. “Do you want some help with that?”<br/><br/></p><p>Her hand freezes in between her tangled tresses. “H-help?” she lamely repeats. <br/><br/></p><p>“I could put it in a braid for you, I’m good with those.” <br/><br/></p><p>“Yes,” she says too quickly. Ben’s eyes widen a fraction and Rey hastily clears her throat. “I mean, yeah sure, if it’s not too much trouble,” she says like it’s no big deal, when really it feels like every pore in her body pushes out a bead of sweat. <br/><br/></p><p>“I can only do a simple one though, so don’t expect anything fancy,” he warns while he starts to walk behind her. <br/><br/></p><p>“Don’t worry, I wasn’t planning on…<em> oh,” </em> she squeaks. Her insult is cut short by the first touch of his fingers on her scalp. <br/><br/></p><p>It’s a good thing he’s standing behind her, otherwise he’d see the embarrassing way her eyes flutter to the back of her head in pleasure.<br/><br/></p><p>Her breathing turns heavy as his thick fingers weave through her hair with expert precision, untangling all the stubborn knots with gentle combing motions.<br/><br/></p><p>As glorious as this feels, Rey can’t help but be suspicious by this random act of kindness. She tilts her head back until she can see him, narrowing her eyes at his upside down face. “Why are you being so nice to me?”<br/><br/></p><p>First the offer to help train her Pokémon, and now helping with her bedhead. Rey couldn’t deny that something had shifted between them ever since that night in the cave. She had never opened up and been vulnerable like that with another person before. Rey thinks that maybe it was Ben’s first time opening up about his past, too—and now he wasn’t sure how to act around her. <br/><br/></p><p>“What do you mean?” he asks innocently. Or at least, she <em> thinks </em>he asks innocently. It’s hard to tell when she’s looking at him upside down. The angle of her head causes him to, unfortunately, stop his ministrations.</p><p><br/>“Well, I don’t know,” she begins cautiously. “Usually by this time of the morning you would’ve already found about five ways to tease me.”<br/><br/></p><p>The corner of his mouth quirks up. “Do you <em> want </em> me to tease you?” he asks dryly. “Because I’ve been sitting on a hilarious joke about this Pidgey’s nest back here,” he says while squeezing the offending hair. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey scrunches her nose, trying not to laugh at his insult as Ben gently pushes her head back into place, continuing to comb through her strands.<br/><br/></p><p>She manages to wrangle in her smile and sighs. “I guess I’m just not used to…” <em> people being kind to me.  </em></p><p><br/>Rey lets the end of her sentence trail off, but Ben hears her unsaid words. She can feel it in the way his fingers turn soft—tenderly moving against her scalp with extra care, trying to prove to her that he <em> can </em> be kind.<br/><br/></p><p>“Not used to having your hair worked on by an expert for once?” he jokingly finishes her sentence, trying to lighten the mood. “You can just say you’re jealous of my hair, it’s okay to admit.”<br/><br/></p><p><em> There's </em> the Ben she knows. Rey tries to fight the smile that threatens to bloom on her face, but she’s no match for it. Instead, she reaches behind her and playfully tugs on a strand of his own hair. “In your dreams.”<br/><br/></p><p>“Pull all you want, sweetheart,” he says through a deep chuckle. “I know you’re just trying to deflect from the truth.”<br/><br/></p><p>Rey swallows and forces her heart to stop racing. She is <em> not </em>about to imagine Ben’s deep voice saying that to her in a different scenario. It’s too early in the morning to fantasize about all the different ways she could pull the thick, smooth locks of Ben’s hair. </p><p><br/>Rey keeps her mouth shut while he continues to work on her braid, not trusting her voice to come out as anything less than a squeak.<br/><br/></p><p>Fortunately, she’s saved from having to continue the conversation by the appearance of Gengar floating up through the ground—pinching Growlithe’s tail and vanishing before he can get caught, making Ben’s Pokémon run around in circles chasing his tail while he tries to find the culprit.<br/><br/></p><p>Rey lets herself get lost in the feel of Ben’s fingers running through her hair as she scans the scene before her. <br/><br/></p><p>To her left, Garchomp seems to be using his sharp claws to cut an…<em>interesting </em> pattern into Mudbray’s mane. Rey isn’t too pleased with Garchomp cutting a staircase design into her Pokémon’s hair, but she’s too scared of him to interfere.<br/><br/></p><p>And on the other side of camp, Hatterene and Kirlia drift over to check on a still drooling Gloom, the latter poking him to make sure he’s just sleeping and not actually dead.<br/><br/></p><p>
  <em> Is this what having a home feels like?  </em>
</p><p><br/>The concept is completely foreign to Rey. Sure, she’s had places she’s lived in and roofs to sleep under—but never anywhere she could call <em> home. <br/><br/></em></p><p>She doesn’t have any other name to label the feelings that are bubbling up inside of her, like her heart has taken root in each and every one of these Pokémon around her, beating in tandem with their own respective ones. <br/><br/></p><p>Especially the heart standing right behind her, beating in time with her own in the most magnificent rhythm—so solid and clear and <em> whole. <br/><br/></em></p><p>Despite never having the chance to experience it before, there can only be one way to describe the way he feels to her. <br/><br/></p><p>He feels like home.<br/><br/></p><p><em> This </em> could be her home. Her <em> family. </em>Ben braiding her hair while the joyful sound of their Pokémon fills the air. <br/><br/></p><p>Ever since she could remember, Rey’s head was filled with larger than life dreams of becoming a Pokémon master. But now that she finds herself in a position for those dreams to soon become a reality, she’s beginning to question if that’s truly what she wants in life. <br/><br/></p><p>Maybe Rey just wants to find her place where she belongs in all of this. <br/><br/></p><p>Nothing would make her happier than to keep travelling the world with Ben. And surely he must share some of her sentiments if he had followed her <em> this </em> far—much to Rey’s astonishment.<br/><br/></p><p>And she doesn’t want to bring up the subject of continuing to travel together, afraid that voicing her worries out loud would only ruin the good thing they have together. Rey supposes that in this instance—ignorance is Blissey. <br/><br/></p><p>But she dreads to think that once she finishes the excitement of her Pokémon journey, Ben would grow bored of her and move on to the next great adventure. <br/><br/></p><p>“All done,” Ben says, breaking her out of her inner spiral. “I do have to say, I think I’ve outdone myself,” he brags. “This is one of the most perfect looking braids I’ve ever made.” <br/><br/></p><p>Rey smooths a hand over the bumps of the braid, inspecting his grand claims. It’s similar to the way she usually wears her hair—half-up in either a bun or ponytail. She turns around to face Ben, surprised that he paid attention to such a trivial thing as her hairstyle.<br/><br/></p><p>“But then again,” he begins softly, lifting a tentative hand to smooth out a wayward strand by her temple, “everything looks perfect on you.”<br/><br/></p><p>The simple statement sends Rey’s heart into a flutter. The sincerity shining in his eyes makes her believe that maybe Ben is just trying to find his place in all of this too. And maybe that place is with her. </p><p><br/>“Everything…<em>except </em>your Primeape shirt.”</p><p> </p><p>———</p><p> </p><p>Rey just can’t seem to find her place in this damn forest. She’s really kicking herself for not having the foresight to teach one of her Pokémon <em> flash </em> before they entered this dark, tree-filled maze.<br/><br/></p><p>“It feels like we’ve been walking in circles,” she whines, dragging her feet behind Ben. “I can’t even see where I’m stepping. I could be trampling on a bunch of helpless Caterpies and I wouldn’t even know it.”<br/><br/></p><p>“Caterpie don’t inhabit Glimwood Tangle,” Ben says matter-of-factly from somewhere ahead of her. “The forest is mainly home to fairy and psychic types. Although, there have been some sightings of dark and ghost Pokémon as well.”<br/><br/></p><p>Rey huffs a short breath through her nose. “I don’t remember asking for a Pokémon geography lesson,” she grumbles, so focused on her feet that she doesn’t notice that Ben has stopped walking, causing her to collide straight into his back.</p><p><br/>Ben, being used to her underhand comments by now, chooses to ignore her. “If you’re having trouble seeing,” he says pointedly while offering a steadying hand to her upper arm, “maybe you should go tap that mushroom over there.”<br/><br/></p><p>He points to a giant neon green mushroom in the distance, casting the immediate area in a feeble, unnatural light.<br/><br/></p><p>“Tap a mushroom?” The skepticism is dripping off of her tone. She wouldn’t put it past Ben to suggest something like this for the sole purpose of making her look like an idiot. <br/><br/></p><p>“Yeah, it’ll shine brighter once you touch it.” <br/><br/></p><p>Rey narrows her eyes at him, finding no sense of mischief in his expression—not that she can see much of his face—they’re still inconveniently shrouded in the perpetual darkness of the forest. He could be flipping her the bird for all she knows.<br/><br/></p><p>“I swear, Ben, if this thing tries to eat me or something, you better be ready to run,” she threatens.<br/><br/></p><p>“Trust me, you’ll be fine,” he assures as Rey starts to cautiously sidestep towards the mushroom. “Just be careful it doesn’t shoot you with its radioactive sludge.”<br/><br/></p><p>Rey whips around, about to give him a piece of her mind for sending her into a dangerous situation, but his laughter stops her.<br/><br/></p><p>“I’m just kidding,” he says through a snort. “You should’ve seen your face—you looked like a Raticate that just got its tail pulled. The mushrooms are harmless, I promise.”<br/><br/></p><p>Rey’s eye twitches at that. “I’ll show <em> you </em> a Raticate,” she mutters under her breath as she moves back towards the mushroom. “You won’t be laughing when I sink my teeth into your stupid fingers.”<br/><br/></p><p>“Oh but really, watch out for the pollen. It’ll sting if it gets in your eyes.”<br/><br/></p><p>Rey rolls her eyes. She’s not going to fall for any more of his warnings. <em> Radioactive sludge and stinging pollen, </em> she scoffs. <em> Yeah, ri—<br/><br/></em></p><p>A cloud of dust puffs off the mushroom after Rey delivers a solid <em> bop </em> to the top of it. She just manages to squeeze her eyes shut in time before it has any chance to sting them. But that doesn’t protect her nose from the onslaught.<br/><br/></p><p>“Ah...ah…achoo!” The sound of her sneeze is blaring amongst the silent trees. When she opens her eyes, she’s almost blinded by the light emanating from the mushroom. “It worked,” she marvels through a sniffle, watching as a nearby Impidimp peeks its head around a tree to see what all the commotion is.</p><p><br/>“I told you so,” Ben says smugly, offering her a tissue. “When have I ever lied to you?” <br/><br/></p><p>Rey barks out a dry laugh as she takes the tissue from his hand. ”Do you <em> really </em> want me to answer that?” Her words come out muffled and nasally as she wipes her nose. “We’ll be here all day if I do, and we’ve already wasted enough time getting lost in this mushroom realm.”<br/><br/></p><p>At this rate, it felt like Rey was never going to reach the city of Ballonlea and challenge their gym leader. But according to her map, Glimwood Tangle was the only available route to take in order to get to the mysterious city.<br/><br/></p><p>“Just because <em> you </em> think we’ve been going around in circles doesn’t mean it’s true,” he says amusedly. “Unlike you, I’ve actually been paying attention to the direction we’ve been going. I’d say we’ve probably got another hour before we get to Ballonlea.”<br/><br/></p><p>“An <em> hour?” </em> Rey moans, dramatically dropping to her knees onto a dewy patch of moss. “Go on without me, Ben. I don’t think I can make it, my feet are killing me.” <br/><br/></p><p>There’s the tiniest hint of a smile playing on his lips as he crosses his arms against his chest and watches her little performance—exercising a tremendous amount of patience.<br/><br/></p><p>“I mean it,” Rey vehemently insists as she sinks onto the forest floor, letting the grass consume her. “Just leave me here to become one with the mushrooms.” <br/><br/></p><p>“As tempting as that sounds, I can’t have you being attacked by a pack of wild Impidimps on my conscience.”<br/><br/></p><p>She pokes her head up through the grass. “They travel in packs?” Rey asks in a hushed tone, darting her eyes around the forest, as if a group of Impidimps are just hiding in the shadows waiting to strike.<br/><br/></p><p>Ben nods gravely. “Let’s just say you don’t want to be on the receiving end of those pointy fangs. So we better get a move on,” he lightly urges.<br/><br/></p><p>She supposes he does have a point. Even though she’s never been eaten alive by Impidimps, she figures the experience would be a hell of a lot more painful than a pair of sore feet. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey frowns as she reluctantly sits up and massages some feeling back into her ankles. “Alright, but you’re gonna have to carry me,” she jokes. “Otherwise I’m going to leave this forest with fewer toes than I entered with.” <br/><br/></p><p>“Okay.”</p><p><br/>Rey slowly lifts her head towards him to see if he really said what she thinks he said. She was just joking. There was no trace of seriousness in her voice when she suggested he carry her. Ben must see the confusion in her eyes. <br/><br/></p><p>His brows pinch in concern. “I can give you a piggyback if your feet are hurting you that much. It’s no trouble.”<br/><br/></p><p>“But…” she weakly protests, still not sure if he’s being serious. Her eyes land on his backpack. “But, how am I supposed to…get on your back with that in the way?”<br/><br/></p><p>“Oh,” Ben slides his backpack off his shoulders. “I guess you’ll have to hold onto it. You can just stuff your bag in mine, there’s plenty of room.”<br/><br/></p><p>Her eyebrows raise in disbelief. “You’re going to carry me <em> and </em> our backpacks?” Rey knows Ben is strong—she had enough evidence of the fact from staring at his muscles all morning—but she still has her worries. Flashes of him collapsing under her in a pile of tangled limbs as the contents of their bags spill throughout the forest floor flit through her mind. <br/><br/></p><p>“That’s the plan,” he says breezily, not worried in the slightest. <br/><br/></p><p>She lets Ben take her backpack and shove it inside his own before he helps sling it over her shoulders. <br/><br/></p><p>“Are you sure about this?” she asks one more time, even more unconvinced now that she feels the added weight of the backpacks.<br/><br/></p><p>“I’m sure, Rey,” he sternly says before he crouches down. “Now quit stalling and hop on.”<br/><br/></p><p>She bites her bottom lip to stifle the embarrassing whimper that threatens to escape her throat in reaction to hearing his tone. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey is <em> not </em> going to think about that innocent remark in a not so innocent way. Her cheeks are burning up from the residual mushroom pollen, <em> not </em> from the way she’s imagining his deep voice saying that to her in a different context.<br/><br/></p><p>She carefully wraps her trembling arms in a loose hold around his shoulders while doing the same with her legs around his waist. Rey lets out a little squeak of surprise when his hands wrap around the back of her knees, securing her in place as he stands back up. <br/><br/></p><p>Without warning, Ben straightens up and hikes Rey higher up the length of his back in order to get a better grip on her legs. <br/><br/></p><p>She can’t help the surprised yelp that escapes her mouth from the effortless way he’s able to lift her up higher. Rey squeezes her arms a little tighter while releasing a ripple of nervous laughter right into his ear. <br/><br/></p><p>“I feel like I’m on top of the world,” she comments in awe. “Is this what it feels like for you all the time? I thought you were scared of heights, how can you stand being this high up all the time?”</p><p><br/>Rey can <em> feel </em> the low rumble of Ben’s laugh vibrating against her entire body. The sensation almost makes her gasp. <br/><br/></p><p>“I’m not that tall, you’re just the size of a Remoraid compared to me,” he teases as he starts to walk.</p><p><br/>“If I’m a Remoraid then that means you’re a Mantine. Did you know that’s how they travel around? By attaching themselves onto Mantines?”<br/><br/></p><p>“I did know that,” he says, slightly gripping her legs tighter.<br/><br/></p><p>“Right,” she huffs out a single laugh. “I forgot you have a pokédex hidden up here,” she says as she rubs her knuckles on the top of his head.<br/><br/></p><p>“Easy, watch the hair,” he chides in mock outrage. “You don’t have to sabotage my hairstyle just because you’re unhappy with your own.”<br/><br/></p><p><em> “You </em> did my hair today,” she reminds him. “Or did you already forget?”<br/><br/></p><p>Rey can see Ben open his mouth, presumably to fire back at her teasing, but he quickly shuts it before saying anything. She kind of gets the impression that he’s scared of offending her, like he doesn’t want a repeat of what happened in the cave.</p><p><br/>All these instances of being extra kind to her today are reinforcing her suspicions. Obviously he feels the need to do a bunch of nice things for her to make up for that disastrous night. He’s carrying her through this forest on his back for fuck’s sake.<br/><br/></p><p>“Hey, Ben?” she begins delicately. </p><p><br/>“Hmm?” he hums in question, turning his face slightly in her direction.<br/><br/></p><p>“You know, you don’t have to walk on eggshells around me.” Rey can feel his body stiffen under her. “I’m not going to react the same way I did in the cave. That was just…a bad day,” she explains lamely. “I think it was the result of pent up emotions about going back to my hometown. It wasn’t anything you did.”<br/><br/></p><p>Ben haltingly nods. “I know, I know…” he says slowly. “But I’m still sorry for it.” <br/><br/></p><p>“I know you are,” she says quietly. “But I forgive you, okay? So just be yourself around me. I like you most when you’re just being yourself.”<br/><br/></p><p>“Even when I make fun of your obsession with food Pokémon?” <br/><br/></p><p>She laughs against his neck. “Well, let’s not get too carried away,” she says sarcastically. </p><p><br/>Rey leans in and lightly presses her cheek against his temple, closing her eyes and allowing herself to enjoy a few precious seconds of their closeness. She can’t tell for sure, but she thinks Ben closes his eyes as well, equally enjoying this moment.<br/><br/></p><p>Even though she could stay in this position forever, she reluctantly detaches her face from his, but is satisfied in feeling the bond between them strengthen.<br/><br/></p><p>“Alright, now that that’s settled, let’s make haste to Ballonlea,” she grandly declares while pointing to the distance. “Onward, noble steed!” <br/><br/></p><p>“Okay, if you’re gonna say shit like that, I’m going to throw you off of me,” he says, completely serious.<br/><br/></p><p>Rey physically bites down on her tongue to stop from laughing. She <em> did </em> ask him to be himself. <br/><br/></p><p>“So you’re saying I should go back to making tall jokes?” <br/><br/></p><p>“No, I’m saying you should zip it and enjoy the free ride through the rest of this fucking forest.”<br/><br/></p><p>“Oh, I'm enjoying it,” she cheerily assures him. “I’ve never ridden on a Sudowoodo before.”</p><p><br/>“Sudowoodo aren’t even trees,” he snaps. “They’re just <em> disguised </em>to look like them for camouflage purposes. They’re actually composed of rock, not wood.”</p><p><br/>“My statement still stands. You’ve definitely got a head as hard as a rock,” Rey says as she knocks her knuckles against his forehead. <br/><br/></p><p>“You—” Ben blows a sharp puff of air through his nose, trying not to give her the satisfaction of seeing him laugh. <br/><br/></p><p>“It’s okay, you can laugh, you know you want to,” she goads. From her vantage point, she can see the tip of his right ear turning red. Rey reaches through his hair and gives his earlobe a tiny yank.<br/><br/></p><p>He instantly flinches away from her touch. “Don’t do that,” he says through a faint laugh.<br/><br/></p><p>“Wait, are your ears <em> ticklish?” </em>she asks unbelievingly.<br/><br/></p><p>“No,” he gruffly spits out, clearly lying.<br/><br/></p><p>“I don’t know, Ben,” she says slowly and tauntingly. “It looks like they might be.” Rey slides her fingers up to his opposite ear, lightly tracing the shell of it. <br/><br/></p><p>He jumps so hard that Rey flies a couple of inches higher up his back. The action makes her giggle in delight. “Jumping a meter off the ground doesn’t seem like the type of thing a person without ticklish ears would do.”<br/><br/></p><p>Her fingers just graze his earlobe again. “Don’t, Rey,” he breathlessly laughs. “I’m s-serious, I’ll f-fling you into a m-mushroom,” he barely manages to spit out in between laughs.<br/><br/></p><p>Soon, the both of them have dissolved into a fit of giggles—the lighthearted sound rings through the quiet forest. Rey’s stomach starts to hurt from the intensity of it, so overjoyed she doesn’t know how to handle it.<br/><br/></p><p>Suddenly, Rey’s laughter is swiftly cut off by a gasp. Out of the corner of her eye she spots something big streaking through the trees so fast that it just looks like a brown blur. The sight catches her so much by surprise that she releases her grip on Ben’s shoulders.<br/><br/></p><p>Ben—not noticing the creature hiding in the trees due to his focus on protecting his ears—keeps a firm grip on her legs, causing Rey to fall on her upper back instead of landing on her feet. <br/><br/></p><p>“Ow,” Rey faintly utters. The backpack cushions her fall, but she knows there’s still going to be a great big purple bruise there in the morning. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben finally releases his hold on her legs to let them thump to the ground. He turns around to look at her pathetic form lying on the forest floor. He stares incredulously at her while his lips start to twitch up at the sides. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey blinks at him. “Are you—are you <em> laughing </em>at me?” </p><p><br/>That does it. Ben doubles over and starts roaring with laughter like she’s never heard before, holding his stomach with one hand and grabbing his knee with his other. <br/><br/></p><p>“Your—” he tries to speak, but is cut off with another laugh. “Your face—” he manages to squeak out, a full octave higher than his regular voice. Apparently that’s enough words to get his message across, because he gives up and just focuses on not stumbling to the ground from the intensity of his laughter.<br/><br/></p><p>“I thought you were going to let go of my legs, you jackass,” she splutters. “You just wait until—”<br/><br/></p><p>The sight of a Pokémon running towards them steals the words right out of her mouth. Her eyes open wide and she wordlessly flails a finger to point behind a still laughing Ben.<br/><br/></p><p>“Behind you!” She’s finally able to find her voice as she scrambles her panic-stricken body backwards. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben hears the urgency in her tone and quickly ceases his laughter. He turns around just in time to come face-to-face with the humongous form of an Ursaring.<br/><br/></p><p>“Ben!” <br/><br/></p><p>Rey screams as the Ursaring flings its arms around Ben and effortlessly picks him up into a huge bear hug, swinging him back and forth like he’s a rag doll.<br/><br/></p><p>Somehow, she manages to clamber to her feet as she stands on shaky legs. <br/><br/></p><p>It feels like her entire body has just gone into panic mode, like her brain can’t compute what she’s seeing. Even though he’s a real pain in the ass sometimes, she can’t let Ben die like this.<br/><br/></p><p>Without thinking, she charges at the Ursaring, jumping onto its back and wrapping her arms around its neck. “Let go of him, you oversized teddy bear,” she growls. This was a lot more fun when she was on Ben’s back instead of this terrifying Pokémon. <br/><br/></p><p>“Rey, I’m fine.”<br/><br/></p><p>Oh, great. Her excess levels of adrenaline are making her imagine Ben’s voice. He must be speaking to her from beyond the grave.<br/><br/></p><p>“I’m not dead, open your damn eyes.”<br/><br/></p><p>Rey pops her eyes open, still clutching onto the fur around the Ursaring’s neck for dear life. She must’ve spoken out loud, because there Ben is, standing on solid ground with an amused look on his face. <br/><br/></p><p>She releases her grip on the Ursaring and—unlike earlier—actually lands on her feet this time. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey slowly walks over to Ben and peers cautiously at the Ursaring. It’s also returning her curious look and is, decidedly, not trying to murder them.</p><p><br/>“Rey, this is—”<br/><br/></p><p>“Chewie! There you are,” a masculine voice calls out from behind the Pokémon.<br/><br/></p><p>A man appears beside the Ursaring, shaking his grey-haired head and frowning. He’s wearing a brown leather jacket with a satchel slung diagonally across his chest. He looks <em> cool</em>—there’s no better word she can use to describe him.<em> <br/><br/></em></p><p>He finally notices them standing off to the side and his eyes widen considerably as they land on Ben. <br/><br/></p><p>“Hey, kid. Fancy seeing you here,” he rasps.<br/><br/></p><p><em> Kid? </em> Rey comically whips her head between the two men, noticing they share a faint resemblance with each other. <br/><br/></p><p>“You’re Han Solo!” she exclaims, completely star-struck. It was hard to tell initially, but there’s no denying that this is the smuggler that once conned her uncle. “You sold my uncle a bunch of counterfeit eggs a few years ago.”<br/><br/></p><p>Han narrows his eyes at her, not sure at this point if she’s a friend or foe. “Who’s your uncle?” <br/><br/></p><p>“Unkar Plutt.”<br/><br/></p><p>“That criminal?” he barks. “He always cheated me out of the rightful price for my eggs. I say he deserved a taste of his own medicine.”<br/><br/></p><p>Rey beams, still not believing she’s in the presence of Han Solo.<br/><br/></p><p>“Speaking of eggs, I’m actually glad I ran into you, Ben.” He turns his attention to his son, who still hasn’t said a word and is eyeing his father with a wary expression.<br/><br/></p><p>Han reaches into his satchel, gingerly pulling out a white egg dotted with asymmetrical green spots.<br/><br/></p><p>“What’s your name, kid?” <br/><br/></p><p>Rey peels her awestruck eyes away from the egg to look at Han. “My name’s Rey.”<br/><br/></p><p>“Rey,” he stiffly nods. “How would you like an egg? Free of charge of course,” he adds quickly. “As an apology for that nasty business with your uncle.”<br/><br/></p><p>Before Rey can so much as open her mouth, Ben rushes in front of her, almost knocking the egg right out of his father's hands. “Don’t!” he blurts. “Don’t take that egg, Rey. Knowing my dad, it’ll probably be something deadly. Or poisonous. Or something with sharp horns.”<br/><br/></p><p>“Now, Ben,” Han begins sternly. “That was <em> one </em> time. And you could hardly blame <em> me</em>. I didn’t know it was a Pinsir egg,” he says innocently, like it was a completely understandable mistake. <br/><br/></p><p>“It almost chopped off my—” Ben throws an embarrassed look at Rey before he mashes his lips together in silence, obviously not wanting to finish that sentence in her presence.<br/><br/></p><p>He closes his eyes and takes a deep calming breath before he continues. “Why can’t you keep the egg for yourself, anyway? Or why not just sell it?”<br/><br/></p><p>“Oh, you know how these things go,” he says lightly, waving a dismissive hand in the air. “You make a deal with the Kanjiklub, and then they get mad when you don’t deliver on time because you’re too busy with the deal you made with the Guavian Death Gang. So you borrow an egg from Bala Tik to appease Tasu Leech and here we are.”<br/><br/></p><p>Ben stares stone-faced at his father for a few tense moments. “So you stole it?” <br/><br/></p><p>“I <em> borrowed </em> it,” Han corrects.<br/><br/></p><p>“Where have I heard that one before?” he mutters as he directs a pointed glare at Rey. It suddenly feels like her map has started to burn a hole into her backpack. <br/><br/></p><p>“Hey, what’s the deal with you two?” Han suddenly butts in, noticing the way Ben and Rey are looking at each other. “Your mother’s been worried sick about where you’ve been, Ben. And here I run into you in the middle of this hokey, mushroom-ridden forest with a girl who’s all too eager to attack poor Chewie.” The Ursaring lets out a noncommittal roar at being addressed. <br/><br/></p><p>Han motions between the two of them with a single accusing finger. “What’s going on here?” <br/><br/></p><p>Both of their mouths open, preparing to say what, she doesn’t know. But they’re spared of an explanation from a group of people walking through the trees.<br/><br/></p><p>“Han Solo,” the leader calls. “You’re a dead man.”<br/><br/></p><p>If Han is scared of this man, he does a good job of hiding it. “Bala Tik, what seems to be the problem?” he says coolly. <br/><br/></p><p>“The problem is that you thought you could get away with stealing an egg from the Guavian Death Gang.”<br/><br/></p><p>Their confrontation turns into background noise as a flash of pink draws Rey’s attention to a cluster of trees by her side. “Look over there,” she whispers to Ben while tugging on his wrist.<br/><br/></p><p>Ben follows her line of sight to see a pack of Impidimps starting to poke their heads around the trees, curious to see what’s causing this disruption in their peaceful forest.<br/><br/></p><p>Rey zones back into the conversation right as Bala Tik sends out a Grapploct.</p><p><br/>Never one to turn down a battle, Rey throws a poké ball into the mix. “Go Mudbray, use double kick!” <br/><br/></p><p>Ever eager to please, Mudbray charges at the Grapploct, delivering a solid kick of her hind legs aimed directly to the Pokémon’s face, sending it flying in a mass of tangled tentacles.<br/><br/></p><p>“That’s what I like to see, Mudbray,” she praises, absolutely elated at her Pokémon’s strength.<br/><br/></p><p>But her excitement is cut short by the appearance of a myriad of Pokémon sent out by Bala Tik’s cronies. <br/><br/></p><p>“Oh shit,” she squeaks.</p><p><br/>“There’s too many. Did you not think to count your opponents?” Ben glowers at her. It looks like he’s annoyed that she even sent out a Pokémon in the first place.<br/><br/></p><p>“I’m sorry, I thought I should at least <em> try. </em> I didn't see <em> you </em> sending out any of your Pokémon.” <br/><br/></p><p>“Hey lovebirds,” Han interrupts, making both of their heads whip towards him. He points to Mubdray. “Your donkey is evolving.”<br/><br/></p><p>Sure enough, in the middle of the clearing is Mudbray—enveloped by a white glow in mid-evolution. She hasn’t even finished evolving before Bala Tik starts to scream.<br/><br/></p><p>A sea of Impidimps have swarmed the Guavian Death Gang <em> and </em> their Pokémon, sinking their pointy little teeth into every soft surface they can find. It’s hard to focus on any single one, they’re all blurring together in a solid, furious mass of pink. <br/><br/></p><p>“She’s <em> huge,” </em> Han’s bewildered voice draws her eyes away from the Impidimp monstrosity and onto her newly evolved—<br/><br/></p><p>“Mudsdale,” she breathes in awe. Han is right—she’s gigantic, towering over every single one of them<em>—including </em> Ben, which is no small feat considering he’s part redwood. <br/><br/></p><p>“What are we waiting for, a goodbye kiss?” Han shouts sarcastically as he climbs onto Mudsdale’s broad back. “Let’s go!”<br/><br/></p><p>Ben grabs their backpacks and vaults onto her Pokémon’s back with ease, extending his hand down for Rey to take. She runs without a second glance behind her and grabs Ben’s hand, allowing him to pull her up and settle in behind him as she wraps her arms tightly around his middle.<br/><br/></p><p>Rey can’t help the triumphant laugh that bursts from her lips when Mudsdale starts to run at full speed through the forest. She’s going so fast that the trees start to blur around them. Even Chewie, who’s running along beside them, starts to fall behind. <br/><br/></p><p>She holds onto Ben with as much strength as she can muster while the wind flows through her hair—letting the steady thump of the braid he made anchor her as it bobs against her head with each gallop. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey squeezes him a little tighter at the thought, resting her head against his firm back with a smile on her lips. One of his hands comes to rest over top of hers in a comforting embrace as they wait out the rest of the ride. <br/><br/></p><p>Eventually, Mudsdale starts to slow down into a light trot, having made it far enough away from the danger. The three of them slide back down to solid ground when she comes to a full stop.<br/><br/></p><p>“You were incredible, Mudsdale,” Rey says as she affectionately rubs her Pokémon’s nose—not being tall enough to reach her mane anymore. <br/><br/></p><p>“I’ll say,” Han says approvingly. “She got us to Ballonlea in record time.” He nods his head to a section of the forest with a sparse scattering of trees.<br/><br/></p><p>Rey shares a glance with Ben before the two of them weave between the trees until they start to thin out and open up into the most breathtaking city Rey has ever seen.<br/><br/></p><p>Her jaw drops as she stares at the wonder that is Ballonlea. Just like the forest, the city is shrouded in darkness, only illuminated in the glowing light of every different colour mushroom imaginable. The cottage style houses that adorn the city look minuscule next to the towering tree trunks they’re nestled against. <br/><br/></p><p>She turns to Ben to make sure she’s not the only one experiencing the magical energy of the city thrumming through her veins. <br/><br/></p><p>He raises his brow at her awestruck expression. “What? No more snide comments about the horror of travelling through Glimwood Tangle?”<br/><br/></p><p>“Don’t know what you’re talking about,” she huffs out sarcastically. “I barely complained the entire way.” <br/><br/></p><p>As beautiful as Ballonlea is, it doesn’t compare to the way Ben shakes his head fondly at her while a slow smile spreads on his face—dimples and all. <br/><br/></p><p>“I don’t mean to interrupt your flirting,” Han butts in, causing both of their faces to turn red. “But I was serious about you two taking this egg.” He turns to enticingly offer the egg to Rey. “It’s yours if you want it, kid.”<br/><br/></p><p>Rey knows the egg is most likely stolen, and according to Ben, there’s probably some highly dangerous Pokémon just waiting within to chop off some integral part of her anatomy. But she can’t deny that there’s something inside that egg that calls to her.<br/><br/></p><p>She looks to Ben for any sign of objection, but all she finds is that heartbreakingly soft smile playing on his lips. That’s all the encouragement she needs to reach out and take the egg from Han. <br/><br/></p><p>It’s heavier than she expected, but the weight feels good in her palms. As she examines the unique pattern up close, she knows deep down in her soul that she made the right choice in taking this egg.<br/><br/></p><p>Ben turns to his father. “What’re you going to do now? I don’t know how much longer those Impidimps are going to stall those guys in the forest.” <br/><br/></p><p>Han scratches his chin in thought. “I think it’s time to give your auntie Amilyn a little visit, maybe keep a low profile for the time being.”<br/><br/></p><p>Rey doesn’t know how a smuggler and an Ursaring are going to keep a low profile in this quaint town, but she’s more focused on the <em> aunt </em> part of his sentence.<br/><br/></p><p>She turns to Ben with a wide-eyed expression. “Amilyn? The fairy type gym leader? She’s your <em> aunt?” </em>  <br/><br/></p><p>First Poe, now Amilyn—Rey is starting to wonder just how many gym leaders Ben has a connection with. He could be related to the <em> champion </em> for all she knows. <br/><br/></p><p>“Not by blood,” Ben hastily corrects. “She’s just a friend of my mother.” He jerks his thumb towards Han. “This old man was always trying to get me to call Chewie my <em> Uncle Chewie </em> when I was growing up. So I wouldn’t put much stock in the validity of our family nicknames.” <br/><br/></p><p>“Now that’s not nice, Ben. What would your uncle Lando think if he heard you say that? You know he loves when you call him <em> Unca Wanwo.”<br/><br/></em></p><p><em> “Dad,” </em> he growls lowly. His menacing tone doesn’t match the way his face turns a light shade of pink. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey decides to spare Ben the embarrassment by getting back on topic. “But still, you could’ve told me you knew the gym leader. Think of all the time we could’ve spent in the forest talking strategy.”<br/><br/></p><p>“You’re going to challenge the gym?” Han asks, his interest suddenly piqued. “And Ben is going with you?” <br/><br/></p><p>Rey nods even though she can hear the doubt in his voice. “Why wouldn’t he?”<br/><br/></p><p>“No reason.” The roguish grin that takes over the entire bottom half of Han’s face is like mischief personified. “Mind if I tag along?” <br/><br/></p><p>Rey can’t even get her answer out before Ben releases the greatest groan ever known to mankind. “I swear, the two of you will be the death of me,” he mutters under his breath as he stomps off in the general direction of the gym.</p><p><br/>“I wouldn’t listen to him,” Han says reassuringly. His voice is surprisingly gentle when he brings up his son. “Never in my life have I seen that boy more head over heels than he is with you.” </p><p><br/>Rey smiles as Ben bumps into a neon yellow mushroom, jostling the Chinchou that is lounging on top of it. The electric Pokémon fires a spark attack at Ben—making his hair stand on end in comical spiky strands.<br/><br/></p><p>It feels like her heart swells to an impossible size as it fills with adoration for Ben in this moment. <br/><br/></p><p>Yeah, Rey’s pretty head over heels for him too. </p><p>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Chewie sweetie, I’m so sorry </p><p>Also thanks to <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/AyNonnyNonnyMouse">AyNonnyNonnyMouse</a> for suggesting the great egg idea!!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Somebody Has to Save Our Combuskens</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Is hiding a potential boner behind a pokemon egg considered acceptable for a (T) rated fic? Asking for a friend</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ben thinks he might be dreaming.<br/><br/></p><p>That’s the only plausible explanation for the way his head is currently resting on Rey’s right thigh as she gently smooths her hand over his hair.<br/><br/></p><p>The two of them had spent the better part of the morning enduring the unrelenting heat of the sun beating down on them as they navigated the labyrinth of secret passages and paths that make up the ancient ruins of route eight. <br/><br/></p><p>After taking one look at Ben’s sunburned cheeks, Rey decided to take pity on him and suggest they stop for a much-needed break, leading him into the shade of one of the many crumbling walls that lined the ancient ruins. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben thought his eyes were going to pop out of his head when Rey plopped down against the wall with her legs stretched out in front of her, patting her thigh and looking up expectantly at him.<br/><br/></p><p>Once he was certain he wasn’t going to faint, it felt all too natural for Ben to lay down on his back and place his head in her lap in a move he felt like he’d done countless times before. <br/><br/></p><p>If it weren’t for the way his heart is actively trying to beat out of his chest, he honestly believes he could fall into a content slumber from the relaxing motion of Rey’s hand carding through his hair.<br/><br/></p><p>Well, that is if he isn’t <em> already </em>asleep. For all he knows, Ben could be passed out from heatstroke and this perfect scenario he finds himself in is all just an elaborate fantasy concocted by his scrambled, yet wishful, brain. <br/><br/></p><p>He would pinch himself if he could, but his fingers are too busy tracing the distinct spotted pattern adorning the egg he has propped up against his bent legs. <br/><br/></p><p>“What do you think it could be?” Rey wonders aloud, continuing to run a comforting hand through his hair.<br/><br/></p><p>Ben hums in thought. “I’m not sure,” he says thickly, blinking his eyes in an attempt to focus on her words and not on falling asleep from her soothing touch. <br/><br/></p><p>Her hand stills. “What do you mean you’re not sure? Your dad’s a Pokémon breeder—surely you picked up some knowledge about eggs from him?”<br/><br/></p><p>Ben frowns as he peers up at her, instantly missing her touch. “I know plenty about eggs,” he grumbles in defense. “But I don’t know anything about fortune telling. Most Pokémon eggs look similar at this stage, it’s sometimes hard to tell them apart if you’re not careful.”<br/><br/></p><p>He learned that lesson the hard way when his father mixed up a Totodile egg with a Cyndaquil one. Ben’s just lucky his eyebrows were able to grow back relatively quickly.<br/><br/></p><p>As much as Ben loves his father, he’s sort of relieved Han chose to stay in Ballonlea after Rey won her gym battle and received the fairy badge. He doesn’t think he would’ve been able to handle the deadly combination of Han and Rey for any longer than necessary. <br/><br/></p><p>Not to mention the chaos he unleashed by dumping a random egg on them. Initially, Ben didn’t want the burden of caring for this egg, but one look at the hopefulness shining in Rey’s eyes dashed all chances of denying her wishes. <br/><br/></p><p>“So it really could be anything?” she marvels while diving her fingers back into his hair—much to Ben’s gratitude.<br/><br/></p><p>It’s taking every ounce of his self-control not to start purring like a Delcatty right now. “Mhm,” he drowsily replies, fluttering his eyes shut in pleasure. <br/><br/></p><p>“That’s so exciting. I mean, think of all the possibilities,” she exclaims. “What if it’s a cute little Azurill? Or a tiny Pichu! I could just pop them on my shoulder and carry them around everywhere I go.”</p><p><br/>Ben cracks an eye open. “Careful,” he warns. “You might start to make Gloom jealous.” <br/><br/></p><p>They both look up at Gloom who is having an animated conversation with a Torchic he met while wandering through a patch of dry grass in the area. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey lightly pinches his nose. “Don’t be ridiculous. Gloom knows he could never be replaced.”<br/><br/></p><p>Ben’s face contorts into mild annoyance as he bats her fingers away from his nose. He playfully pouts at her, really laying it on thick as he tries to make her feel guilty for pinching him.<br/><br/></p><p>But his expression only succeeds in making her break out into a soft smile. <br/><br/></p><p>“Or maybe it’ll be a Magby,” she continues her speculation as she peers down at him.<br/><br/></p><p>Ben thinks he stops breathing entirely when Rey reaches down and runs the pads of her fingertips featherlight over his sunburned cheek. “That way, the two of you will match. You’ll just be a couple of sulky, red-cheeked babies,” she says through a fond, toothy grin.<br/><br/></p><p>Ben swallows as he looks into Rey’s eyes, finding it hard to even form words when she’s touching him so familiarly. <br/><br/></p><p>“You know, for someone who has a sun allergy, I’m surprised you don’t carry a bottle of sunscreen in that big backpack of yours,” she says, breaking the spell as she removes her hand from his cheek to continue petting his hair. <br/><br/></p><p>It takes his brain a moment to realize what she’s even talking about. Ben is seriously regretting ever making up that ridiculous lie about having a sun allergy back on the St. Supremacy. <br/><br/></p><p>But at the time, lying to her seemed like the better option over telling her that he needed her hat to disguise himself from the hundreds of trainers who might have recognized him as being the champion. <br/><br/></p><p>“Uh yeah, I think I ran out of it a few weeks back,” he mumbles, lucky his cheeks are already red from his burns so Rey wouldn’t realize he’s blushing right now. “Hey, now that I think about it, this spot pattern kind of looks similar to other water type eggs I’ve seen,” he lies, trying to change the subject.<br/><br/></p><p>“Really?” She perks up, looking thoughtful as she scans the ruins around them. “Maybe it’s an ancient Pokémon, like Omanyte or Kabuto. They’re water types.”<br/><br/></p><p>“They’re also extinct,” he says with a grimace, leisurely rotating the egg in his grasp. “I think spending all morning climbing through these ruins is influencing your imagination.” <br/><br/></p><p>“Oh, come on,” she begins exasperatedly. “You don't think there’s a possibility that those ancient Pokémon may still be out there somewhere, biding their time until they wake from their thousand year slumber?”<br/><br/></p><p>Ben stares blankly at her. “Do you hear how absurd you sound right now?” he asks flatly. “A thousand year slumber?”</p><p><br/>“You’re telling me that you don’t believe there’s the <em> tiniest </em> chance of that being true, even after <em> you </em> witnessed,” she pokes him in the chest for emphasis, “with <em> your </em> own eyeballs,” another poke to his hastily shut eyelid, “the legendary sight of Ho-Oh?” <br/><br/></p><p>The corner of her lips twitch as she says the name of the legendary Pokémon, still finding it funny after all this time.<br/><br/></p><p>“That’s exactly what I’m telling you,” Ben says with a big smile, unable to keep a straight face at the adorable way Rey tries, but fails, to be serious. <br/><br/></p><p>“Don’t make me tickle your ears again,” she threatens while snaking the hand already in his hair closer to his ear.<br/><br/></p><p>“Touch my ears, and the egg gets it,” Ben threatens back, gripping the top of the egg with one hand and letting it dangle in the air.<br/><br/></p><p>Rey narrows her eyes at him. “You wouldn’t dare,” she whispers dramatically, inching her face closer to his. “I’ve seen the way you act around that egg. There’s no way you’d do anything to harm it.”<br/><br/></p><p>That makes him pause. He didn’t realize his care for the egg was so transparent. So what if he cradled it with extra caution every time it was his turn to carry it? And what was the big deal if he kept it bundled up tight in spare clothes every night to keep it warm as they slept?<br/><br/></p><p>“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he mutters, lowering the egg back to safety as he continues to trace the green spots. </p><p><br/>“Sure you don’t,” she murmurs sarcastically, gently placing her hand over top of his to join him in tracing the patterns.<br/><br/></p><p>Even though Ben has felt the sensation of Rey’s skin on his plenty of times by now, it still feels like he’s experiencing it for the first time. <br/><br/></p><p>It feels like electricity is pulsing through both of their hands, moving in charged synchronization as Rey guides their index fingers to loop around one particular spot in delicate strokes. <br/><br/></p><p>He’s surprised the egg hasn’t cracked from the energy flowing through them. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben makes the mistake of clearing his suddenly dry throat, jarring Rey out of the trance she had fallen into with him. She retracts her hand with a shy smile, blushing as she places it back into his hair, continuing to nervously comb through it. <br/><br/></p><p>“Who’s the Magby now?” he can’t help but lightly tease.</p><p><br/>“Shut up, Ben,” she mutters, tightening her grip on his hair.<br/><br/></p><p>He inhales a sharp breath from the sensation. But what’s surprising is that he doesn’t hate the feeling of Rey pulling his hair as much as he expected he would. Ben needs to change the subject before he does something truly stupid like ask her to pull harder. <br/><br/></p><p>“Before you rip all my hair out, don’t you want to hear more of my expert opinion about what could be inside this egg?” <br/><br/></p><p>Her grip loosens at his words, smoothing out the tangles she created. <em> “Expert opinion </em> seems debatable, but sure, enlighten me...<em>Professor Solo.” </em></p><p><br/>Ben’s lucky he’s got the egg placed in a strategic position against his lap, otherwise he’d probably die of humiliation from the reaction his body has to hearing Rey call him that.<br/><br/></p><p>“Well,” he begins, only to stop and clear his throat because of how high his voice comes out. “Well,” he tries again in a purposefully deeper tone. “See how the egg tapers off near the top like this? That shape is common with grass type Pokémon eggs.”<br/><br/></p><p>“A grass type?” Rey chirps in surprised excitement. “Maybe it’ll be another Oddish that can bond with Gloom!”’<br/><br/></p><p>Ben glances over to Gloom who seems to have befriended two more Torchics. One of them shoots flames into the air, just narrowly missing the leaves on top of Gloom’s head as he dives for cover, knocking the other two Torchics over like bowling pins. </p><p><br/>Ben frowns at the display. “Are you sure you want another one of those?” he asks dryly. <br/><br/></p><p>“Be nice,” she chides. Despite her serious tone, Ben can see her bottom lip wobbling as she tries not to laugh at her poor Pokémon. <br/><br/></p><p>“Fine, fine,” his nose twitches as he tries not to laugh. “I just think it’s funny that Gloom doesn’t actually have any fingers, yet he’s capable of bowling a perfect strike.”<br/><br/></p><p>“If you don’t stop making fun of him, I’m about to shove my fingers up your nose and throw <em> you </em> like a bowling ball.” <br/><br/></p><p>“Are you saying you want to pick my nose?” he jokes, conveniently ignoring everything else she said. “I know you have some sort of obsession with my nose, but I draw the line at your fingers breaching either one of my nostrils.” <br/><br/></p><p>That must’ve been the straw that broke the Camerupt’s back, because Rey abruptly stands up in a flustered jumble, causing Ben’s head to drop from her thigh to the ground in a dull thump.<br/><br/></p><p>“Ow,” he groans, sitting up and rubbing the back of his head, already feeling the beginnings of a huge bump forming under his hair. <br/><br/></p><p>He feels a little bad about saying she has an obsession with his nose. But it was sort of the truth. She <em>did</em> say she loved his nose when they were sharing a meal in the battle café back in Motostoke—even if she never actually meant to say it out loud.<br/><br/></p><p>That was a moment he wasn’t ever going to forget anytime soon—and evidently a moment he wasn’t going to let <em> Rey </em> forget either. <br/><br/></p><p>As his hand continues to rove in examination, he discovers a bunch of tiny little braids scattered all over his head. Rey must’ve made them without him even knowing, too distracted by the pleasure of her touch to realize what she was really doing.<br/><br/></p><p>“You look like a disgruntled Tangela,” she observes coolly as she leans against the crumbling wall with her arms crossed against her chest. <br/><br/></p><p>“Luckily, that’s the exact look I was going for,” he replies smoothly, playing along with her teasing while his eyes wander to Gloom.<br/><br/></p><p>The group of Torchics seem to have multiplied, popping out of every hidden corner of the ruins, curious to see what the source of all this commotion is. <br/><br/></p><p>One brave Torchic shuffles over to Ben where he’s still sitting on the ground, tilting its head in question at him.<br/><br/></p><p>“What’re you looking at?” he gruffly asks the innocent Pokémon. </p><p><br/>The Torchic ignores Ben’s rude tone and starts pecking the back of his hand, earning a snort from Rey. <br/><br/></p><p>“Watch it,” he barks at the tiny fire Pokémon who has now climbed up on his thigh to closely examine the egg. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey quickly interferes. “Here, give me the egg before it starts poking a hole through it,” she says while deftly snatching the egg out of his hands.<br/><br/></p><p>“Oh sure, protect the <em> egg </em> from this monster,” he points to the fuzzy little Torchic, now nuzzling against his stomach. “Who cares about protecting <em> me </em> from its pointy beak?” <br/><br/></p><p>“Don’t be such a baby,” Rey admonishes with a grin, leaning back against the wall with the egg safe in her arms. <br/><br/></p><p>Another Torchic joins the party, flying up to perch on Ben’s head, picking at the tiny braids Rey made.<br/><br/></p><p>He shoots a glare at Rey who looks like she’s enjoying this spectacle far too much. <br/><br/></p><p>“So this was your secret plan all along?” he accuses while another Torchic flies onto his shoulder, nudging his ear. “Plant some braids into my hair so the Torchic brigade could come and forage them for their nests?”<br/><br/></p><p>“Hey, you’re the one always bragging about your hair,” she says in defense. “It’s no surprise they want to use it to build their nests.”<br/><br/></p><p>Soon enough, his entire body is covered by the tiny chick Pokémon. Ben isn’t sure if he’s more human or Torchic at this point. There’s one biting into his shoe, another tickling its feathers against his hand, and a whole flock of them flying around his head trying to peck at his braids.<br/><br/></p><p>In any other scenario, Ben would’ve thrown a fit by now and shoved every single one of these annoying birds off his body. <br/><br/></p><p>But he thinks being accosted by these Torchics is worth it, only to see the look of pure joy that crosses Rey’s face as she witnesses the scene before her.<br/><br/></p><p>Lately, Ben finds himself doing a lot of stupid things for the sole purpose of seeing Rey’s happiness. <br/><br/></p><p>“I wish I had a camera,” she says through a laugh. “You look <em> so </em> grumpy, it's adorable.”<br/><br/></p><p>Ben can actually <em> feel </em> his entire face turn hot. And that’s not just because the Torchic on his shoulder is nuzzling its face against his cheek. <br/><br/></p><p>He starts to grab the ones that have begun taking roost in his hair, plopping them down gently onto the ground—only for them to immediately fly back onto his head the moment he lets go of them. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey looks like she’s having a hard time staying upright while she grips the egg with one arm and holds her stomach with the other from the intensity of her laughter.<br/><br/></p><p>“They think you’re their mother!” she cackles in pure delight.<br/><br/></p><p>The horrified expression that crosses his face only makes her laugh even harder, struggling to wipe the tears that are falling down her cheeks. <br/><br/></p><p>“Please stop,” she gasps. “I’m gonna p-pull a m-muscle.” <br/><br/></p><p>“I’m not doing anything!” he helplessly yells back.<br/><br/></p><p>The Torchic that’s curled up in his lap peeks its head up in reaction to his raised voice. It stumbles upright and flaps its feathery wings to hover in front of his face, staring at him for half a second before promptly nipping Ben’s nose. <br/><br/></p><p>It doesn’t hurt exactly, but it’s not the most pleasant of sensations to have a fire Pokémon chomp on one of his extremities. <br/><br/></p><p>“See, I’m not the only one who likes your nose,” Rey jokes good-naturedly, seemingly forgiving him for teasing her about it earlier.<br/><br/></p><p>“Yeah, but I think I’d prefer your mouth on my nose than a Torchic’s,” he says while trying to rub the pain away. <br/><br/></p><p>It takes him a second to realize Rey isn’t laughing anymore—the only sound around them is the chirping of the Torchics as they continue to climb his body like it’s their own personal jungle gym.<br/><br/></p><p>It takes him even<em> more </em> time to realize the reason why she had gotten so quiet all of a sudden. He flicks his eyes to her face in panic, worried that he may have freaked her out by being so forward, and not at all like the usual delicate line they balanced on with their style of flirting.<br/><br/></p><p>When he gazes into her eyes, he’s surprised to find that she’s not looking at him with revulsion. She’s definitely a little shocked—her wide eyes and parted mouth give credence to that belief. <br/><br/></p><p>But Ben swears that hidden deep in her eyes is something that looks a lot like…<em>intrigue? </em> He can see it in the way her eyes greedily dart between his own, searching for something within their depths. He sees it in the way one side of her lips start to curl seemingly of their own volition as her cheeks slightly blush.<br/><br/></p><p>Could Rey actually be interested in Ben like that? Would she actually <em> want </em> to put her lips on his nose, or any other part of his face, for that matter? <br/><br/></p><p>It feels like his heart may burst from the rush of feelings that flood into him. He feels like he’s on the precipice of something huge with her, like all his emotions are about to overflow and the only person he wants—<em>no, </em> the only person he <em> needs </em> to receive the multitudes of his heart is standing right in front of him. <br/><br/></p><p>He doesn’t know how to label the emotions that take over his entire body, like he’s drowning and Rey is the only person able to pull him to safety. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey, with her lovely face that makes waking up in the morning worth it. Rey, who makes him cry with laughter when he’s having a bad day. Rey, who makes his heart and soul finally feel complete after an eternity of feeling so alone in this world. Rey, who Ben thinks he’s falling in lo—<br/><br/></p><p>Ben blinks back to reality. Rey, who’s about to be on the receiving end of a Combusken’s fury.<br/><br/></p><p>He was so caught up in the discovery of his newfound feelings that he didn’t even notice the Combusken sprinting on the top edge of the crumbling wall, running directly at them. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben doesn’t even have the chance to warn Rey before the Combusken jumps off the wall with a high-pitched screech and lands a flying kick right onto Rey’s forehead—the force of it knocking her flat on her back. <br/><br/></p><p>The Combusken spooks the Torchics that are still on top of Ben, causing them to simultaneously fly off his body in a frightened mess of flapping wings and feathers. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben frantically waves his hands around his face as he tries to shoo the stragglers away, spitting feathers out of his mouth in his haste to reach Rey. <br/><br/></p><p>As the last of the Torchics disperse, Ben is finally able to crawl over to Rey and help pull her body up into a sitting position. “Are you okay?” he asks, the concern practically dripping off his tone. <br/><br/></p><p>“My fucking head,” she groans as she squints up at him, giving him a clear view of her forehead.<br/><br/></p><p>In his defense, Ben <em> does </em> realize the seriousness of the situation he finds himself in—Rey was just kicked square in the face by a half fighting, half fire type Pokémon—there’s nothing remotely funny about the situation.<br/><br/></p><p><em> However, </em> when Ben gets a good look at the reddened, dusty, three-toed footprint that appears to be tattooed on Rey’s forehead, well…<br/><br/></p><p>Can she <em> really </em> blame him if his lips start to twitch from the force at which he’s trying to hold back his laughter?<br/><br/></p><p>“Ben, I swear,” she grumpily begins, noticing he’s about one second away from bursting. “If you start laughing at me, I’m going to headbutt you. I don’t even <em> care </em> if it worsens my headache, I swear I’ll do it.”<br/><br/></p><p>He opens his mouth to reply, praying that a laugh doesn’t sneak its way past his lips, but he shuts it as he realizes something. His eyes are focused on her empty palms. “Where’s the egg?” <br/><br/></p><p>Rey instantly forgets all about her headache as she snaps to attention, roaming her eyes over the ground around them. “I don’t know,” she says worriedly. “I was holding it just a minute ago.” <br/><br/></p><p>The two of them scramble to their feet, kicking the dirt around them as they swivel in every direction looking for the egg. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey stills Ben with a hand on his arm. “Look,” she points to a fresh track of three-toed footprints disappearing around the corner of the wall.<br/><br/></p><p>They exchange a quick glance before they’re darting around the corner as they follow the tracks the Combusken left behind. Sure enough, there it is—hobbling away in the distance with their stolen egg nestled in its arms.<br/><br/></p><p>“Hey,” Rey angrily shouts through her cupped hands. “Lay your own egg, that one’s mine!” <br/><br/></p><p>Ben tries not to get caught up in the way that Rey is implying that she laid the egg herself, but it’s hard going. <br/><br/></p><p>The Combusken almost jumps out of its feathers in reaction to her irate voice. It turns its head around to flash one smug look at Rey before wobbling away as fast as its oddly shaped legs can carry it.<br/><br/></p><p>“Come back here you big chicken,” she growls, shaking her fist and breaking into a sprint in chase of the egg thief. </p><p><br/>Ben is almost knocked off his feet by Gloom who zooms past him, trying his best to catch up with Rey while shaking his tiny fist in imitation of her.<br/><br/></p><p>Ben tilts his head up to the sky and sighs, wondering how he ever got himself into this situation—before he shrugs to the clouds, utters a single incredulous laugh, and starts to chase after them. <br/><br/></p><p>He’s able to easily jog past Gloom, sparing him a pitying glance as the little guy trips over his own feet and face plants into the sand. He figures Gloom would want him to keep chasing the Combusken instead of helping him, so Ben quickens his pace in order to catch up with Rey. <br/><br/></p><p>“Just wait until I catch you,” Rey shouts, out of breath. “I’m gonna pluck every feather off your body—<em>slowly!” <br/><br/></em></p><p>They continue to run through the twisting paths of the ruins, passing by all sorts of old pillars and statues that line the ancient labyrinth. <br/><br/></p><p>“I’ve been craving drumsticks,” she adds menacingly, continuing to taunt the Combusken. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben doesn’t doubt for one second that Rey is serious about her threats—especially the one involving her eating this poor Pokémon’s legs.<br/><br/></p><p>They finally manage to corner the Combusken on a dead-end and Rey wastes no time in diving for the egg, engaging in a tug-of-war with the feisty Pokémon. <br/><br/></p><p>“Let go,” she snarls through her teeth, tugging the egg closer to her.<br/><br/></p><p>“Combusken,” the Pokémon growls right back, snapping its beak just bare inches from her fingers.<br/><br/></p><p>Ben looks behind him where Gloom has finally caught up to them, heaving heavy breaths and looking a little worse for wear with a face covered in sand. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey and the Combusken are leaning so far into each other that their noses are almost touching. Their faces mirror each other as they both contort into tense concentration—until the Combusken abruptly winds its head back and drives a powerful headbutt right into Rey’s already sensitive forehead before she even has the chance to dodge the attack. <br/><br/></p><p>She instantly recoils in pain, allowing the Combusken to take full control of the egg.<br/><br/></p><p>“That’s it, chicken noodle soup is <em> back </em> on the menu,” Rey just barely manages to threaten before an ominous rumbling sound interrupts her.<br/><br/></p><p>Ben peers over Rey and the Combusken to look at the dead-end wall they cornered the Pokémon in. He gulps—it’s not just any plain old wall.<br/><br/></p><p>It’s the entrance to a Falinks den.<br/><br/></p><p>As if on cue, a humongous Falinks bursts out of the wall, slithering its caterpillar-like body towards them at an alarming speed.<br/><br/></p><p>“Run!” Ben hurriedly spits out before he turns around, scoops Gloom under his arm like a football, and sprints away from the rampaging Pokémon.</p><p><br/>He sees that Rey has the same idea as she picks up the reluctant Combusken, despite the way it wildly kicks its legs in protest. “Stop fighting me, I’m trying to help you!” she says while one of its talons scratches her arm. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey hisses in pain. “If you weren’t holding my egg, I’d throw you straight into that beast's warpath,” she jerks her head in the direction behind her. <br/><br/></p><p>“Hey, more running, less fighting,” Ben chimes in.<br/><br/></p><p>“Easy for you to say,” she grumbles. “At least Gloom isn’t trying to claw your eyes out.”<br/><br/></p><p>Well, she’s not wrong about that. Gloom has a big dreamy smile plastered on his face, looking extremely comfortable while he bounces under Ben’s arm with each leap, like the motion is gently rocking him to sleep. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey throws a quick panicked look over her shoulder at the rapidly approaching Falinks. “What are we supposed to do now?”<br/><br/></p><p>“Turn left here,” he calls over to her—both of them turning past a crumbling pillar onto a long stretch of a narrow pathway—the Falinks still hot on their tail. Ben has a plan, but it’s definitely risky. “Run straight for that wall,” he instructs.<br/><br/></p><p>Both Rey and the Combusken whip their heads toward him in disbelief. “What?” she asks incredulously. “Did those Torchics peck your brain? How is running into that wall going to solve anything?”<br/><br/></p><p>“Don’t run into it,” he exasperatedly shouts back at her. “Jump out of the way just before you reach it, okay? You jump to the right and I'll jump to the left.”<br/><br/></p><p>The concerned look on Rey’s face makes him believe that she doesn’t put much faith in his hastily thought-out plan. But it’s not like Ben has the time to come up with a better option. <br/><br/></p><p>“Ben, I need to tell you something,” Rey yells over to him as they get closer and closer to their potential doom. “In case we don’t make it…”<br/><br/></p><p>Ben’s heart starts to race even faster than it already is. What could she possibly have to say to him at a time like this? He tries to tamper down the nervous excitement for the thought that she really might be about to confess something monumental right now. <br/><br/></p><p>“...I used Growlithe to mop up a puddle of water one time!”<br/><br/></p><p>Ben shakes his head clear to make sure he heard that right.</p><p><br/>“It was only a tiny amount—I spilled it while I was trying to take a drink and he was <em> right </em> there—his fur is just so <em> absorbent,” </em> she tries to explain in hurried words. <br/><br/></p><p>“Combusken,” the Combusken adds disapprovingly from its position in Rey’s arms, watching this conversation play out with a judgmental look on its face. At least Ben isn’t the only one confused and slightly outraged by this confession. <br/><br/></p><p>He’s about to scold her, but her scream stops him in his tracks. “Jump!” she shouts. They had reached the wall without him even noticing, too busy trying to wrap his head around her weird and super unnecessary confession. <br/><br/></p><p>The two of them jump to opposite sides as the Falinks continues its straight path right through where they were standing just moments ago. It bursts through the wall, smashing centuries-old brittle statues that were built into the brick. <br/><br/></p><p>The thrashing tail end of the Pokémon swipes even more sections of the wall, creating an even bigger center of destruction. The unstable ground beneath them begins to give out, causing the sand around them to start rapidly pouring into the hole the Falinks created.<br/><br/></p><p>Ben and Rey are helplessly pulled into the entrance of the hole, tumbling and rolling down a huge pile of sand into the darkness of a hidden chamber.<br/><br/></p><p>Ben can just make out the sound of the Falinks echoing against the cavern walls as it slithers away into the darkness. </p><p><br/>“Rey,” Ben calls out, his voice muffled as he spits the sand out of his mouth. “Are you alright? Where are you?” <br/><br/></p><p>“I’m fine, I’m over here,” she weakly replies from somewhere beside him. He suddenly feels the reassuring touch of her hand on his forearm. “Is Gloom okay?” <br/><br/></p><p>“Gloom,” he chirps affirmatively, still cradled in Ben’s arms. He can hear Rey breathe a sigh of relief as she returns Gloom to the safety of his poké ball. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben squints at the feeble sunlight filtering in from the hole at the top of the cavern they’ve stumbled into. It looks like they fell a lot further down than he previously thought. There’s no way they’d be able to climb out by themselves—but that doesn’t stop Rey from trying.<br/><br/></p><p>“Bring it on, you sandy bastard,” she grumbles as she takes a running start and tries to climb the huge sand hill they rolled down from.<br/><br/></p><p>She doesn’t even get two steps high until she slides back down the steep, sandy slope in a pathetic jumble of limbs.<br/><br/></p><p>“I don’t think insulting the sand will help us get out of here,” he comments absently, distracted by something poking out of the sand. “Hey, is that your egg?” He points to a spot next to her. <br/><br/></p><p>“Huh?” Rey pokes her head up and scrambles to the place he’s pointing to, frantically digging out the egg with her bare hands. “Wow, it’s really wedged in there,” she says as she struggles to pull it out.<br/><br/></p><p>After one harsh tug, she’s able to rip out the egg<em>—and </em> the Combusken that still has its hands wrapped around it.<br/><br/></p><p><em> No wonder she had a hard time pulling it out. </em>  <br/><br/></p><p>Rey screams in shock—causing the Combusken’s eyes to fly open and return its own screech of surprise.<br/><br/></p><p>“Not you <em> again,” </em> she groans. “I thought I told you to get your own—”<br/><br/></p><p>A series of loud thuds coming from the back of the cavern interrupts Rey’s sentence, causing the Combusken to drop the egg. Ben takes this moment to bend down and grab the egg and stuff it in his backpack while the Pokémon is distracted. When he straightens back up, Rey and the Combusken have jumped behind his body to use as protection.<br/><br/></p><p>“What the—” he swivels his head around to see them cowering behind him, shoving his back forward. “Knock it off! Why are you pushing <em> me </em> towards it?”<br/><br/></p><p>“You’re bigger, it’ll be scared of you,” Rey explains, like it’s the most logical course of action.<br/><br/></p><p>“Combusken,” the Combusken nods its head as it eagerly agrees.<br/><br/></p><p>Ben rolls his eyes at this turn of events. Rey’s still got the three-toed footprint stamped on her forehead, yet they seem to have become best buddies all of a sudden.<br/><br/></p><p>“Would you two relax? We don’t even know what this Pokémon is.” <br/><br/></p><p>Although, they don’t have to wait for long to find out just what Pokémon is hiding in the shadows, because when Ben follows Rey’s wide-eyed stare to the back of the cavern, he cannot believe his eyes at the Pokémon that haltingly steps into the light in front of them.<br/><br/></p><p>“I <em> told </em> you so!” Rey shouts, making his already highly strung body jump. “I told you there was a possibility for extinct Pokémon to still be out there—and would you look at that? I was <em> right,</em>” she brags, pure vindication crossing her features. “That’s a fucking <em> Aerodactyl, </em> Ben!”<br/><br/></p><p>“I can see that,” he hisses. “I do have two perfectly working eyes. No need to brag.”</p><p><br/>In this moment, Ben kind of wishes he <em> wasn’t </em> able to see the terrifying sight of the—once extinct—giant, flying Pokémon as it crawls towards them. Its leathery purple wings are connected to a pair of long-clawed knuckles that drag against the cavern floor—the eerie scratching noise causing Ben to experience full-body shivers. <br/><br/></p><p>“Ben, I really do think I need to tell you something this time…” Rey gulps.<br/><br/></p><p>Oh, he’s not falling for <em> this </em> crap again.</p><p><br/>“What? You plucked a bunch of Pidgeot’s feathers to stuff your pillow?” he asks sarcastically out of the side of his mouth, not wanting to take his eyes off the advancing Aerodactyl. </p><p><br/>“What?” she asks confusedly. Something in her tone tells Ben that she seems to be genuine. “No, I—” Rey pauses, her confession dying on her tongue as Ben peels his eyes off the ancient Pokémon and onto her horror-struck face. “Oh no! Look, Ben.”<br/><br/></p><p>Ben follows her line of sight to find Combusken confidently walking up to the Aerodactyl, stopping only to nod back in acknowledgment of Ben and Rey.<br/><br/></p><p>“It wants to fight for us,” Rey breathes in awe. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben can’t believe the once volatile Combusken has had such a drastic change of heart. But then again, Rey does have such a natural charm of winning over the Pokémon in her life—even the scrappy ones that she always tends to fight. He supposes that’s why the Combusken is so willing to protect her, to put on a brave front, to march right up to that Aerodactyl and—<br/><br/></p><p>—and swiftly turn tail by sprinting up the sand hill and escaping to safety. <br/><br/></p><p>“Oh, come on!” Rey shouts at the retreating form of the Combusken as it kicks clouds of sand down towards them before it disappears through the top of the cavern entrance. “You’re lucky you can climb that fast, otherwise I’d give you a fate even worse than this Aerodactyl would have!” <br/><br/></p><p>Speaking of the Aerodactyl, they’re still trapped down here with the murderous Pokémon with no escape in sight.<br/><br/></p><p>“I should’ve tied those little chicken legs together so it wouldn’t have ditched us so easily,” Rey grumbles dejectedly. <br/><br/></p><p>“Its leg!” Ben suddenly exclaims. Rey’s ramblings about the Combusken’s legs causes him to notice something about the Aerodactyl. “Look, there’s a cut on his right leg,” he points to the offending appendage.<br/><br/></p><p>“You’re right.” She quickly perks up now that there’s a chance that they aren’t going to be eaten. “Do you think that’s why it’s so angry?”<br/><br/></p><p>“Maybe,” Ben swallows. “There’s only one way to find out.”<br/><br/></p><p>Rey softly gasps as Ben starts to slowly step forward, raising his hands in front of his body in submission. <br/><br/></p><p>“Hey, <em> buddy…</em>?” Ben quietly begins to speak, not sure if he should address the horrifying, ancient Pokémon with a respectful name, or treat it like a friend. <br/><br/></p><p>Apparently <em> buddy </em> is a bad choice because he can hear Rey whisper <em> what the hell </em> from somewhere behind him. But he ignores her and continues to cautiously walk towards the Pokémon.<br/><br/></p><p>“Easy, buddy, I’m only trying to help,” he says while the Aerodactyl cocks its head, interested in this human who seems to <em> want </em> to get closer to it, instead of cowering away in fear. <br/><br/></p><p>“What’s wrong with your leg?” Ben breaks his steady eye contact with the Pokémon to quickly look at its leg before darting right back to its face. “That cut looks pretty nasty. Would it be alright if I clean it up for you?” <br/><br/></p><p>Ben is so close to the Aerodactyl that the Pokémon is actually able to crane its neck down towards him and sniff Ben’s head, giving him a clear view of some <em> very </em> sharp, <em> very </em> large teeth. He holds his breath during the entire interaction, not <em> daring </em> to move an inch.<br/><br/></p><p>Suddenly, the Aerodactyl retracts its head and—thankfully—presents its leg for Ben’s inspection. Ben slowly lets out the breath he was holding. <br/><br/></p><p>“Cool, you’re like the extinct Pokémon whisperer,” he hears Rey's impressed voice behind him. He’s glad to have her approval, but he really needs to focus on fixing this leg and not having his head chomped on. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben carefully removes his backpack from his shoulders and retrieves a super potion, holding it up for the Aerodactyl to see. “It’s just medicine, okay? It’ll make you feel better,” he reassures the Pokémon before spraying the potion onto its leg. <br/><br/></p><p>It must work because the Aerodactyl straightens up immediately and wraps Ben into its wings, enveloping him in its stony embrace. <br/><br/></p><p>“Is it…<em>hugging </em> you?” He can’t see Rey, due to the fact that he <em> is </em> hugging a fucking ancient Pokémon, but he can hear the bewilderment saturating her tone. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben doesn’t even get the chance to answer her before a huge chunk of the cavern ceiling drops down to the floor, just narrowly missing him and the Aerodactyl.<br/><br/></p><p>“Ben!” Rey yells in pure agony. <br/><br/></p><p>Startled, the Aerodactyl releases its hold on him and he quickly spins around searching for Rey as more of the ceiling starts to crumble to the ground. <br/><br/></p><p>“Oof,” he grunts as Rey dives into him, wrapping her arms around his body. It’s instinct that makes him reciprocate the action, lifting his own arms up to hold her in place.<br/><br/></p><p>As sweet as it feels to hold her in his embrace, Ben knows that this is not the time or place to be getting lost in her touch. They break apart instantly while looking into each other’s eyes, lost as to what they can do to make it out of this perilous situation they’ve found themselves in. <br/><br/></p><p>The Aerodactyl’s screech draws their attention to the Pokémon as it crouches down to the floor, presenting its back to them.<br/><br/></p><p>Rey’s eyebrows practically shoot off her forehead as she takes one quick look at Ben before she’s releasing him in favour of running and jumping on the Aerodactyl’s back. <br/><br/></p><p>“Come on!” she yells at him, accentuated by another huge chunk of the ceiling crashing down somewhere behind him.<br/><br/></p><p>Ben hesitates, squeezing his eyes shut. “I can’t, I—” His heart starts to race at the thought of dangling off this Pokémon as it flies thousands of feet in the air. He curses his stupid uncle Luke for giving him this fear of heights.<br/><br/></p><p>“Ben,” Rey utters softly. He opens his eyes. “You <em> can </em> do it. Just hold onto me. I’ll be with you the entire time. <em> Please.” </em> She reaches out her open hand to him. <br/><br/></p><p>It’s like everything clicks into place when he hears her voice. Of course he can do this. If Rey believes in him—if she’s going to <em> be </em> with him, then Ben believes he can do anything she asks him to.<br/><br/></p><p>He takes her hand. <br/><br/></p><p>The moment Ben settles behind Rey and wraps his iron grip around her middle, the Aerodactyl shoots off the ground in one powerful thrust, dodging every falling piece of the crumbling ceiling as it aims for the cavern entrance.<br/><br/></p><p>After a particularly close call with a falling piece of debris, Ben shuts his eyes and squeezes Rey tighter—eliciting a tiny squeak of surprise from her mouth. He would say sorry for almost cracking her ribs, but he doesn’t think he’s able to form words right now.<br/><br/></p><p>Suddenly, light bursts behind his eyelids. He tentatively cracks one eye open, testing the waters, and is relieved to see that they made it out of the cavern.<br/><br/></p><p>What’s <em> not </em> so relieving, is that instead of landing on the ground and letting them get off its back, the Aerodactyl continues its trajectory upwards into the sky.<br/><br/></p><p>Rey whoops in unabashed delight as they rapidly ascend to the clouds, laughing and screaming as they get higher and higher.<br/><br/></p><p>Ben chances a look below them and immediately regrets it, feeling his whole body start to sweat at the pace at which the ground is receding beneath them. <br/><br/></p><p>“Open your eyes, Ben, we’re flying!” she laughs, somehow knowing he has his eyes shut. <br/><br/></p><p>He cracks them open to see her left arm wrapped around the Aerodactyl’s neck, and her right arm extended straight up in the air, letting the wind blow through her outstretched, wiggling fingers.<br/><br/></p><p>“Put your arm back down!” he pleads, instantly shutting his eyes and shoving his face into her neck while squeezing her body impossibly tighter. “We’re going to fall if you don’t hold on with both hands.”<br/><br/></p><p>Rey chuckles softly, ignoring his suggestion, as she reaches her hand behind her to cup his cheek. <br/><br/></p><p>“We’re not going to fall,” she softly whispers to the side of his head as she caresses his cheek. “Open your eyes, Ben.” <br/><br/></p><p>Despite every atom in his body protesting the notion, Ben finds he is compelled to obey her. <br/><br/></p><p>He opens his eyes just as they burst through a freezing cold cloud, shocking his system both physically and emotionally at the sight awaiting him below. <br/><br/></p><p>An unfathomable amount of land is visible beneath them, all cast in the golden glow of the sunset—which is absolutely blinding from this position amongst the clouds. The ancient ruins are nothing but an inconsequential tiny square of dirt from this vantage point. He can see fields and fields of grass sprawling as far as the eye can see, and the Pokémon roaming those fields look like mere specks of dust grazing the land. </p><p><br/>Despite being able to see such a vast amount of the region around them, it really feels like it’s just him and Rey, soaring through the sky—the only two people on top of the world together. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey turns her head to look at him, gazing into his eyes as their faces rest only centimeters apart.<br/><br/></p><p>“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” she asks with a dreamy smile, shifting her eyes back to the magnificent view around them.<br/><br/></p><p>Ben doesn’t take his eyes off her face. “Yeah, it really is.”  <br/><br/></p><p>“See? I told you that we wouldn’t fall,” she laughs, dropping her hand from his cheek and turning her head forward. “You don’t have to worry,” she adds softly. “I’ll keep you safe, Ben.” <br/><br/></p><p>Ben feels something wet drip down his cheek. He didn’t even realize he had started to cry. Isn’t that something? Crying tears of joy, instead of sorrow. <br/><br/></p><p>Crying because for some inexplicable reason, Rey has allowed him into her life—allowed him to join her on this exhilarating journey of hers. <br/><br/></p><p>Allowed him into her heart. Just like Ben has allowed Rey into his. <br/><br/></p><p>Deep down in his soul, Ben believes her when she says that she’ll keep him safe.<br/><br/></p><p>He knows that Rey will have no trouble keeping his heart safe too—because it already belongs to her. <br/><br/></p><p>He leans into Rey, closes his eyes, and presses a soft kiss to the back of her head, lingering for a precious moment as he pours as much emotion as he possibly can into the kiss—trying so desperately to convey just how much she means to him. </p><p><br/>Rey was wrong about one thing though. He <em> was </em> going to fall. In fact, he thinks he already has. </p><p>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I think I’m actually incapable of writing short chapters</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Budew it</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Look, I don’t just show anyone what I’m about to show you—so you should count yourself <em> very </em> lucky.”<br/><br/></p><p>“Trust me, I do,” he says earnestly. <br/><br/></p><p>“And you <em> promise </em> you won’t laugh?”<br/><br/></p><p>“Cross my heart,” Ben swears, drawing an ‘x’ across his chest as if to prove his genuineness. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey narrows her eyes in suspicion. “You don’t have your fingers crossed behind your back or anything?”<br/><br/></p><p>Ben presents his hands for her inspection, wiggling his clearly uncrossed digits. <br/><br/></p><p>But Rey still isn’t fully convinced of his honesty. “And your toes?” <br/><br/></p><p>He throws a thoroughly unimpressed look in her direction. “I’m not taking my shoes off to prove to you my toes aren’t crossed. It’s way too cold for that shit.”<br/><br/></p><p>Rey couldn’t argue with <em> that </em> assessment—every word of Ben’s last sentence was punctuated by an icy exhale of breath that hovered by his lips for a fleeting moment before quickly dissipating into the chilly air.<br/><br/></p><p>So she really couldn’t blame him if he wanted to spare his toes from suffering the grim fate of frostbite. <br/><br/></p><p>But there was definitely someone she <em> could </em> blame for their current predicament—or rather, a certain <em> Pokémon </em> that was to blame. <br/><br/></p><p>She really should’ve thought about how they were supposed to get down from thousands of feet in the air <em> before </em> getting onto the back of an ancient Pokémon. <br/><br/></p><p>Although, Rey supposes she should be grateful to the Aerodactyl for dropping them off in this frosty wasteland—otherwise known as ‘Steamdrift Way’ according to her trusty—definitely not stolen—map.<br/><br/></p><p>It just meant that she was one step closer to reaching the wintry city of Circhester and gaining another gym badge. <br/><br/></p><p>“Are you going to show me or not?” Ben asks impatiently. “I think my eyeballs are going to freeze if I wait any longer.”<br/><br/></p><p>The two of them are leisurely walking side by side up this bitterly cold route, crunching the light layer of snow beneath their feet with every step. <br/><br/></p><p>“Relax, I’ll show you,” she says calmly, shrugging off her backpack and placing it gently on a bed of snow so the egg nestled inside wouldn’t get damaged. “I’m just giving you a chance to get ready for one of the greatest Bellsprout impressions you’ll ever witness.”<br/><br/></p><p>It took a lot of coaxing, but Ben had finally managed to convince Rey to show him her <em> award winning </em> impersonation.<br/><br/></p><p>Ben stops walking and turns his body towards Rey to give her his undivided attention as he fixes her with an expectant expression. “Well, don’t keep me in suspense,” he drawls. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey throws him one last warning look before she dives into her impression. <br/><br/></p><p>“Now, the key to a perfect Bellsprout is all in the mouth,” Rey explains, like she’s letting him in on a big secret. “You really gotta commit to it, otherwise you’ll look like a complete idiot.”<br/><br/></p><p>“You don’t say,” he mutters.<br/><br/></p><p>“So you kinda just stick your arms out like this,” Rey demonstrates, raising her voice to drown out Ben’s. “And plant your feet slightly apart with your heels pointed inwards.”<br/><br/></p><p>Ben stares at her oddly-positioned body in rapt attention. She takes his lack of objection as a sign to continue. <br/><br/></p><p>“Okay, so if you put it all together, you’re left with one of the most accurate Bellsprout impressions out there.”<br/><br/></p><p>Rey slowly flails her arms as if they were made of leaves themselves, exactly like a Bellsprout would. Her feet are cocked outwards and her lips are widely pursed in a perfect ‘o’ shape—really capturing the delicate essence of the grass Pokémon. <br/><br/></p><p>Leia Organa didn’t award her first place in the Bellsprout impersonation contest all those years ago for nothing. <br/><br/></p><p>As impressive as Rey believes her impression is, that doesn’t stop Ben from lasting approximately three seconds before he abandons all pretense of respectful observation and bursts into laughter. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey lets her arms sadly flop down to her sides. <br/><br/></p><p>“You promised you wouldn’t laugh!” she whines in an attempt to stop <em> herself </em> from laughing. She just couldn’t help it, Ben’s laughter was too contagious—even if it was at her expense. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey marches right up to Ben and tries to jab him in the ribs for breaking his promise, but he’s easily able to thwart her attempt by grabbing her wrists in a loose hold. <br/><br/></p><p>“I know, I know,” he chuckles heartily. “But I couldn’t resist, it was just too cute.”<br/><br/></p><p>
  <em> Oh.<br/><br/></em>
</p><p>Rey’s lucky her cheeks are already tinged pink from the cold. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben pulls her arms wide so they’re sticking straight out from the sides of her body, maneuvering her limbs with such ease that she feels like a little rag doll in his hold. <br/><br/></p><p>This new angle allows him to lean his head closer to her ear and speak in a low tone, like he was about to tell her a secret. “It was definitely one of the top five Bellsprout impressions I’ve ever seen.”<br/><br/></p><p>“Top five?” she squeaks in outrage, wiggling one of her wrists free and clamping her hand over his mouth—immediately getting lightheaded from how soft and plush his lips feel. “You don’t get to speak anymore if you’re just going to spread lies.”<br/><br/></p><p>The vibration of his muffled laughter against her hand almost makes her shiver, but she catches herself at the last moment. Besides, she’s distracted by the way Ben’s eyes widen slightly in reaction to something unseen behind her. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey tears her hand away from his mouth, and shrinks in closer to his body. “What’s wrong?” <br/><br/></p><p>Ben places a protective hand on her shoulder. “I don’t know...I thought I saw something,” he explains distractedly, craning his neck to look in the distance. “You stay here, I’m going to go investigate.”<br/><br/></p><p>Rey is torn between feeling annoyed by his commanding tone, or feeling all warm inside for the fact that Ben is so quick to throw himself headfirst into a potentially dangerous situation in order to protect her.<br/><br/></p><p>She worries her bottom lip between her teeth nervously as she watches Ben walk over to a snowbank and crouch down to examine the area behind it.<br/><br/></p><p>Ben really could be sweet when he wanted to. Rey had spent enough time with him now to realize that his tough exterior was just a front for how truly soft he was inside. <br/><br/></p><p>Like how he chose to protect her from the Aerodactyl’s wrath by shielding her behind him—or how his first instinct was to grab Gloom when the Falinks started to chase them.<br/><br/></p><p>Never had Rey wanted to pull him down into a big kiss more than she did when he saved Gloom. If that Falinks wasn’t about to trample them, she honestly believed she would’ve done it. <br/><br/></p><p>He was just so <em> thoughtful.<br/><br/></em></p><p>Rey wistfully sighs as she focuses her eyes back on Ben—just in time to see him throw a huge snowball directly at her.<br/><br/></p><p>Did she say thoughtful? Rey meant the most <em> thoughtless </em> man to ever grace this planet. <br/><br/></p><p>She doesn’t even have time to <em> think </em> about dodging it, because the snowball hits her face at such a high velocity that she swears it goes straight up her nose and into her brain. <br/><br/></p><p>When the last of the icy cold clumps drip off her face, Rey blinks her eyes clear to see Ben watching the spectacle with a huge grin on his lips—beyond pleased that she fell for his little prank.<br/><br/></p><p>“You’re going to regret that,” she threatens as she begins to stalk towards him. <br/><br/></p><p>“Hmmm,” Ben pretends to think. “No, I don’t think I will,” he snorts. “Sorry, it’s hard to take you seriously when you look like an Abomasnow.”<br/><br/></p><p>
  <em> Oh, that’s it. <br/><br/></em>
</p><p>Rey charges at Ben, kicking up clouds of snow in her wake. She hastily scoops up a handful of snow and flings it at him—but it falls apart instantly once it leaves her hand.<br/><br/></p><p>“You call that a snowball?” he taunts as he runs away from her attack. “I’ve seen better swings on a playground.”<br/><br/></p><p>“I’ve never even seen snow before!” she explains in defense of her pitiful attempt. “I don’t know how to throw a snowball.”<br/><br/></p><p>“Here, let me show you,” he says as he flings another perfectly made snowball right against the side of her head, landing with a muffled <em> thud.<br/><br/></em></p><p>
  <em> Okay, Rey will admit she walked right into that one. <br/><br/></em>
</p><p>“You’re <em> so </em> dead,” she growls.<br/><br/></p><p>Rey continues to chase Ben around the clearing for long enough that the sky clouds over and begins to lightly snow. His stupid long legs are making it very easy for him to dodge out of the way each time she tries to grab him or aim a poorly made snowball at his head.<br/><br/></p><p>After one successfully constructed snowball hits him in the neck, Rey leaps for joy, laughing while she performs a little victory dance.<br/><br/></p><p>She’s so caught up in her celebrations that she doesn’t notice Ben sneaking up on her until he wraps his arms around her thighs and lifts her up over one of his shoulders.<br/><br/></p><p>“Ben,” she squeals, pounding her fists on his back to no avail. It was like punching a brick wall. “Put me down!” <br/><br/></p><p><em> “Spin you around?” </em>he asks sarcastically, pretending to mishear her. “Okay, you got it.” <br/><br/></p><p>“No! I know you heard me, Ben,” she begins to protest, only to be silenced by her sudden fit of giggles as Ben tightens his grip on her legs and starts to spin around on the spot. “I’m gonna get dizzy, you bastard!” <br/><br/></p><p><em> “Go faster?” </em> He chuckles as he picks up speed. “Alright, whatever you say.” <br/><br/></p><p>Rey’s cheeks start to hurt from smiling and laughing so hard, she feels like her mouth is going to be stuck in a permanent grin from now on. <br/><br/></p><p>“I feel like I’m on a Hitmontop,” she jokes as the ground starts to blur entirely. Ben is spinning so fast that he doesn’t see the tiny Snom that crawls behind him. “Watch out!” <br/><br/></p><p>It’s a useless warning, because Ben trips over the Snom anyway, sending him toppling over onto his back—and Rey right on top of <em> him. <br/><br/></em></p><p>“Oh,” she gasps in surprise to find his face just inches below hers, reddened from a combination of the cold and his exertion. <br/><br/></p><p>She’s got her forearms planted flat against the ground on either side of his head—his own hands resting loosely on her waist. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey revels in the sensation of his powerful chest moving up and down against her own with his heavy panting, struggling to catch his breath after all the excitement of just moments earlier.<br/><br/></p><p>She licks her lips and shifts her weight—earning a soft groan from deep within Ben’s throat.<br/><br/></p><p>Her eyes land on his lips—looking more plump and red than she’s ever seen them before. She’s always admired his lips, they’re one of the first things she noticed about him. <br/><br/></p><p><em> They look cold, </em> Rey thinks as she unconsciously leans further in. <br/><br/></p><p>Maybe the courteous thing to do would be to warm them up…<br/><br/></p><p>A flash of colour up ahead makes her snap her head to attention, breaking her out of the trance she had fallen into. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben blinks and clears his throat. “What is it?” he asks, tilting his head back to see what she’s looking at. <br/><br/></p><p>“I could’ve sworn I saw...” Rey shakes her head. <br/><br/></p><p>She could’ve sworn she saw something bright orange race behind a couple of snowbanks in the distance. She only noticed it because of the stark contrast between the white snow and its colourful body.<br/><br/></p><p>But now that she’s got her full attention on the area and <em> not </em> on a distracting pair of lips, there’s nothing to be found. “Never mind, it was probably nothing.” <br/><br/></p><p>“Did you take too many snowballs to the head?” he suggests, raising a single wry eyebrow. <br/><br/></p><p>“Yeah, no thanks to you,” she grumbles, climbing off Ben’s body and offering him a hand to help pull him off the ground.  <br/><br/></p><p>He takes it, letting out a long groan as he stands back up. <br/><br/></p><p>“What’s the matter, grandpa? Not as young as you used to be?” <br/><br/></p><p>He huffs out a laugh. “Young enough to throw you over my shoulder for a second time,” he threatens in that deep voice of his. “So you better watch your mouth.”<br/><br/></p><p>Rey isn’t so sure that the cold weather is responsible for the way every inch of her skin breaks out into tiny goosebumps. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben notices the way she has started to sneakily rub her hands over her arms. “Cold?” he questions innocently. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey honestly can’t tell if Ben is actually completely ignorant to the reaction his comments have on her—or if he knows <em> exactly </em> what he’s doing to her.<br/><br/></p><p>“Mhm,” she squeaks out, not trusting her voice right now.<br/><br/></p><p>Ben smirks. “I’ve got just the thing.” </p><p> </p><p>———</p><p> </p><p>Rey has to give credit where credit’s due—Ben sure does know the way to her heart. <br/><br/></p><p>And that way is through her stomach. <br/><br/></p><p>“Are you gonna finish that?” Rey mumbles through a mouthful of tofu, pointing her spoon to Ben’s half-eaten plate of spicy noodles. <br/><br/></p><p>As soon as they entered Circhester, Ben had dragged Rey into this hole in the wall restaurant near the back of the city, claiming that their specialty spicy food would be the perfect balm to soothe her frozen body. <br/><br/></p><p>And he wasn’t wrong about that. Rey was already beginning to gain feeling back in her extremities after demolishing two hot and sour soups. She was working her way through a third bowl when Ben’s plate of noodles started to look very tempting. <br/><br/></p><p>“You can have them,” he offers as he slides his plate across the table. “I think I ordered too much, anyway.”<br/><br/></p><p>Rey’s not so sure about that. Poor Ben looks like he just took a dip in Circhester’s famous hot springs with the amount of sweat dripping off his face. <br/><br/></p><p>But Rey was never one to turn down free food. <br/><br/></p><p>“Cheers,” she graciously thanks while raising her glass of water and clinking it against his own—which Ben hurriedly guzzles down, not even caring that it was dripping down the sides of his mouth. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey hides her smile in her glass. She fixes her eyes on the Centiskorch greeting customers near the front of the restaurant to give Ben a chance to discreetly wipe the sweat off his temples.<br/><br/></p><p>They chose a booth near the back of the room, giving her a clear view of the bustling establishment around them. There’s a television above the bar countertop playing a news channel, just barely audible over the sizzling of the chef’s cooking and the chatter of the customers.<br/><br/></p><p>“Have you thought about your strategy for beating the next gym?” Ben asks, casually running a hand through his hair while he quickly tucks his sweat-soaked napkin away. “Remember, Paige is an ice type specialist.”<br/><br/></p><p>Rey frowns as she slowly chews her noodles in thought. “Yeah, I remember Professor Tico mentioning that her sister was the Circhester gym leader.”<br/><br/></p><p>It felt like eons ago that they ran into the Professor on their way to challenge the Hulbury gym. Rey had only possessed one gym badge back then. It’s dizzying to think that she now has <em> five </em> badges—hopefully <em> six </em> if today all goes to plan.<br/><br/></p><p>But that’s the kicker. Rey wasn't as confident for this battle as she was for the previous five. Half of her team would be at a complete disadvantage against Paige’s ice type Pokémon.<br/><br/></p><p>Her eyes land on the Centiskorch again as it offers a menu to a customer who gingerly plucks it out of the grasp of the Pokémon’s creepy-crawly legs. <br/><br/></p><p>This next gym battle would be a piece of cake if she had a fire Pokémon like <em> that. <br/><br/></em></p><p>
  <em> “In other news, there is still no word on the whereabouts of Pokémon League Champion Kylo Ren.” <br/><br/></em>
</p><p>“Ow!” she hisses in pain as Ben kicks her shin underneath the table. That really wasn’t what Rey had in mind when she imagined playing footsie with him. “What was that for?”<br/><br/></p><p>
  <em> “...Twenty-nine-year-old Ren was last seen in Wyndon before disappearing…”<br/><br/></em>
</p><p>“Nothing, uhhh, I think I just got some pepper in my eye,” he explains while delicately patting his napkin against his eye. He looks like he’s trying to split his attention between the news channel and Rey. <br/><br/></p><p>“So you thought kicking me would make it feel better?” she asks sourly while bending over and rubbing her shin.<br/><br/></p><p>
  <em> “...League officials say Ren’s disappearance has resulted in a substantial backlog of trainers waiting for their chance to challenge the elite four…”<br/><br/></em>
</p><p>“What?” Ben asks distractedly. “No, no, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to kick you. This booth is just too cramped for my, uh…my <em> tree trunk </em> legs, as you would say,” he apologizes with an awkward laugh. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey narrows her eyes at him, noticing the way he has started to sweat again, despite not eating any more of his spicy food. <br/><br/></p><p>
  <em> “...if anyone has any information on the location of Ren, seen here on screen, you are urged to call…”<br/><br/></em>
</p><p>Ben abruptly jumps out of his seat, causing his knees to knock against the underside of the table, rattling the cutlery above.<br/><br/></p><p>Rey darts her eyes around the restaurant before shooting Ben a scathing glare for causing such a commotion in a public place. She lowers her voice to a biting whisper. <em> “What has gotten into y—”<br/><br/></em></p><p>For the second time today, something orange catches her eye. <br/><br/></p><p>When Rey looks at the floor-length glass windows at the front of the restaurant, she sees none other than the egg thief herself poking her shifty little head through the window.<br/><br/></p><p>The moment the Combusken makes eye contact with Rey, she retracts her head in shock and quickly scurries away.<br/><br/></p><p>“Oh no you don’t,” Rey says aloud, earning her a puzzled look from Ben before she’s sprinting out of the restaurant without explanation. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey bursts outside and whips her head to the left, spotting the Combusken waddling in the direction of the stone structure containing the hot springs. She’s easily able to catch up to the Pokémon and grabs her under the arms as she dangles her over the rectangular pool. <br/><br/></p><p>“Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t dunk you in this boiling hot water,” Rey growls at the frightened looking Pokémon. “Why are you following us?” <br/><br/></p><p>“Combusken,” the Pokémon pleads, frantically shaking her head back and forth as the steam from the hot springs curls around her body in smoky tendrils. <br/><br/></p><p>“Rey!” Ben calls out, scuffing the stone floor as he jogs towards them. “Step <em> away </em> from the Combusken,” he orders sternly. <br/><br/></p><p>“She’s been spying on us!” <br/><br/></p><p>“She’s just enamoured with the egg,” Ben explains rationally. “I don’t think she means us any harm.” <br/><br/></p><p>“Tell that to my forehead,” Rey mutters, squinting at the fire Pokémon that’s now shaking in fear.<br/><br/></p><p>Rey freezes—it feels like a light bulb goes off in her head.<br/><br/></p><p>
  <em> A fire Pokémon.<br/><br/></em>
</p><p>Rey curls her lips into a devilish smirk, which only serves in making the Combusken’s eyes almost pop out of her fuzzy tufted head. <br/><br/></p><p>She cautiously lowers her back on solid ground and brushes some nonexistent dirt off the Pokémon’s shoulder. <br/><br/></p><p>“Combusken,” Rey sticks her hand out in offering. “How would you like to make a deal?”</p><p> </p><p>———</p><p> </p><p>“It’s pretty, don't you think?” Rey inquires, turning the badge over in her hands. “I like how the ice shards are such a vibrant shade of blue. It really gives the badge a nice <em> pop </em> of colour, you know?”<br/><br/></p><p>“No, I <em> don’t </em> know.” Ben’s harsh tone makes her tear her eyes off the badge and onto his reproachful expression. “Is blue the colour that symbolizes bribery?”<br/><br/></p><p>Rey rolls her eyes and tucks the badge into her pocket. “It was hardly considered bribery,” she reasons. “It was just a mutual agreement in which Combusken would battle for me in exchange for some quality time with the egg.” <br/><br/></p><p>Ben stares blankly at her. “So…bribery?”<br/><br/></p><p>She waves a dismissive hand in the air. “You say Plusle, I say Minun.”<br/><br/></p><p>“That—that doesn’t make any sense,” he splutters in outrage. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey lets Ben continue to silently simmer in rage as she puts her focus on more pressing matters—like not slipping on this dangerous icy path they’re following on route nine. <br/><br/></p><p>After winning her badge, Rey chose to leave Circhester as soon as possible, not wanting to loiter too long in the city and risk someone questioning the legitimacy of her win.<br/><br/></p><p>But it’s not like she did anything <em> wrong. </em> There were no rules against using a Pokémon she caught just mere hours before her gym battle. <br/><br/></p><p>Because she did<em> technically </em> catch Combusken. The fiery Pokémon agreed to wait in a poké ball until they got onto the stadium pitch.<br/><br/></p><p>And sure, it was a little awkward attempting to battle when Rey didn’t know which attacks Combusken already knew. She just shouted every fire attack imaginable and hoped that Combusken would be able to implement at least <em> one </em> of them.<br/><br/></p><p>But they were able to make it work in the end—Rey got her badge, and Combusken got her egg. Problem solved. <br/><br/></p><p>“Com-com-combusken,” Combusken chants in a singsong voice, staring lovingly at the egg as she gently rocks it back and forth in her arms. <br/><br/></p><p>“You’ve created a monster,” Ben says in horror.<br/><br/></p><p>“Shut up,” Rey laughs while playfully shoving his shoulder. “You’re just jealous that you don’t get to hold the egg anymore.”<br/><br/></p><p>“Hardly,” Ben scoffs. “I’m just relieved that I can finally give my weary arms a break,” he shrugs casually, acting like he couldn’t care less about this new development. <br/><br/></p><p>However, his apathetic tone is at odds with the way he glowers at Combusken, now peppering little kisses all over the surface of the egg. <br/><br/></p><p>“Come on, look at the bright side,” Rey says while bumping the back of her hand against his. “At least we don’t have to worry about constantly keeping the egg warm anymore. Combusken is like a mini furnace.”<br/><br/></p><p>Ben works his jaw back and forth, stealing shy glances at the way their hands keep bumping into each other as they walk side by side. <br/><br/></p><p>“It’s like having a free babysitter,” Rey continues as she loosely loops her pinkie finger around his own, much larger, pinkie. “Except our babysitter is a giant, irritable, hot-tempered chicken.”<br/><br/></p><p>Ben lowers his head and starts quietly shaking with laughter, her favourite dimple on full display. Rey beams at the sight and gently squeezes his finger before sliding her entire hand in his grasp.<br/><br/></p><p>Her breath catches in her throat from how big and strong his hand feels in her hold.<br/><br/></p><p>The way that Ben slowly drags his eyes from their clasped hands up to her face makes her toes curl inside her plaid green socks. The corner of his mouth twitches into a crooked smile. “You’ve just met this Combusken and you already trust her with our egg?”<br/><br/></p><p><em> “Our </em> egg?” Rey dramatically asks, beginning to merrily swing their joined hands between their bodies, pleased that Ben hadn’t yanked his hand away from her touch. “Since when did it become your egg, too?”<br/><br/></p><p>“Since you almost got it stolen by a giant, irritable, hot-tempered chicken,” he parrots back her own words. <br/><br/></p><p>“Yeah, but that was ages ago,” she says flippantly, like it wasn’t just a few days ago that Combusken delivered a flying-kick right to her forehead. “Besides, she’d never do something like that again—we’re friends.”<br/><br/></p><p>“You’ve only had her for three hours and you're already best buddies?” <br/><br/></p><p>Rey cranes her neck up to glare at his doubtful expression. “Did you <em> see </em> the way she kicked ass for me during that gym battle? <br/><br/></p><p>“Sure,” he shrugs nonchalantly. “But I also saw the way she almost kicked <em> your </em> ass with a badly aimed flamethrower attack.” He peers down to shoot her a sly smile while gripping her hand a little tighter. <br/><br/></p><p>“I don’t remember any such thing,” she says weakly, discreetly kicking snow on top of her left shoe to hide the scorch marks. <br/><br/></p><p>She clears her throat and starts swinging their hands a little faster. “But I <em> do </em> remember that flamethrower attack taking down Paige’s Eiscue,” Rey says, steering the conversation back on topic. “I’ve never seen anything like it. Who knew all that power was hiding in that tiny feathery body?”<br/><br/></p><p>Ben opens his mouth to reply, but Rey cuts him off as she continues to ramble. <br/><br/></p><p>“I can’t wait to see just how strong she’ll become when she evolves into a Blaziken. I know everyone always prefers a Swampert or Sceptile out of that trio, but not me! Honestly, who would ever choose a <em> Swampert </em> over a Blaziken? No thanks,” she snorts derisively. “Vaguely amphibian looking Pokémon have always given me the creeps. I mean seriously, it’s a half water, half ground Pokémon—talk about an oxymoron. At least with a Blaziken you’re getting a strong combination of fire and fighting. I’m not interested in some weird mud-fish monstrosity. You know what I mean?” she wiggles her eyebrows in question. <br/><br/></p><p>Apparently he <em> doesn’t </em> know what she means, because he comes to a stuttering halt and quickly rips his hand from hers—Rey immediately missing the warmth of his touch.<br/><br/></p><p>She stares confusedly at Ben while he unclips a poké ball from his belt with a frown and releases the Pokémon within. <br/><br/></p><p>
  <em> Is it too late to have Combusken blast her with a flamethrower attack again?<br/><br/></em>
</p><p>Because standing in front of her is none other than the Pokémon she just spent the last minute ranting about. <br/><br/></p><p>The sight of the Swampert startles her so badly that she loses her balance on a patch of ice and falls on her ass with an embarrassing grunt. <br/><br/></p><p>She tentatively peeks up at the Swampert that is now crawling towards her in curiosity. “I’m sorry,” she timidly squeaks out as Swampert’s pointy gills tickle her cheek.<br/><br/></p><p>“Yeah, you better be,” Ben mutters amusedly. “Because this<em> mud-fish </em> is your only hope of crossing through Circhester Bay in one piece.”<br/><br/></p><p>Ben jerks his head towards the swirling mass of water ahead of them just as a huge, deep blue wave crashes against one of the many broken chunks of ice littered throughout the bay. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey gulps.<br/><br/></p><p>A hand is suddenly thrust into her view. “Come on, sweetheart, up you get. I promise Swampert isn’t going to hurt you for saying all those mean things about him,” Ben assures her.<br/><br/></p><p>“It’s not him I’m worried about,” she mutters, letting Ben pull her back up. <br/><br/></p><p>The more pressing worry on her mind is how they’re going to get an egg, a feisty Combusken, and two fully grown people across a large body of ice cold water without someone inevitably falling into the chilly depths.<br/><br/></p><p>
  <em> Rey swears she’s heard this exact riddle before.<br/><br/></em>
</p><p>It takes a lot more promises of extra time with the egg and a few angry swipes of a feathery fist, but Rey finally convinces Combusken to get into her poké ball and hand over the egg so Ben could keep it safe in his backpack while they navigated the dangerous waters. <br/><br/></p><p>So that’s where Rey finds herself—precariously balanced on top of the Swampert she just offended with his trainer tucked snuggly behind her as they crossed the bay. <br/><br/></p><p>It reminds her of the way they sat on Aerodactyl’s back. She could’ve sworn she felt Ben kiss the back of her head when they were flying through the clouds, but she wasn’t sure if she imagined the whole thing as a result of her adrenaline rush. <br/><br/></p><p>However, there’s no imagining the way Ben’s strong arms have just pulled Rey even closer to his body as a particularly strong wave crashes beside them. <br/><br/></p><p>“I’ve got you,” he rumbles right into her ear. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey can’t get over how <em> solid </em> he feels behind her. Despite the raging waters, she feels safe in his hold, knowing that—without a doubt—he would never let her fall over.<br/><br/></p><p>A Mantine breaks through the surface of the water, jumping so high in the air that it gives them a clear view of the tiny Remoraid attached beneath its fin. <br/><br/></p><p>“Look!” Rey straightens up and pushes against his body while she excitedly points at the Pokémon. “It’s us,” she laughs.<br/><br/></p><p>“Mhm,” Ben grunts in response, sounding like he’s in some sort of pain.<br/><br/></p><p>She turns her neck around to try and look at him. “What’s the matter?” <br/><br/></p><p>“Nothing—” he groans as Rey tries to twist her body further back, pushing herself even deeper into him, alarmed by his tone.<br/><br/></p><p>Ben stills her with a firm hand on her waist. “Maybe don’t…squirm around like that,” he says in a voice full of strain. “You might, uh...fall over.”<br/><br/></p><p>“Oh, okay, no problem,” she chirps agreeably, turning back around in a flash and readjusting her hips with a dreamy sigh on her lips. <em> Always so thoughtful, her Ben.<br/><br/></em></p><p>“Thanks…!” Ben squeaks. His voice is so high, it startles a nearby Horsea into shooting a jet of black ink straight through the sky.</p><p><br/>It’s a good thing Ben had Swampert, otherwise she would’ve never been able to cross the bay on her own. She smiles as she thinks about what Ben would look like holding Swampert when he was just a little Mudkip. If it was anything like how he acted with those Torchics, Rey doesn’t think she would’ve been able to survive such an overload of adorableness. <br/><br/></p><p>After an hour into their excursion—and a myriad of odd groans from Ben—the waves calm and the sky begins to fill with ominous light grey clouds, signalling an impending snowstorm. <br/><br/></p><p>“Should we make camp before it gets dark?” Rey calls over her shoulder, gesturing to a large sandbar nestled against a cliffside in the distance. <br/><br/></p><p>She can feel Ben nod against the side of her head. “That’s probably a good call. I don’t like the look of those clouds.”<br/><br/></p><p>Swampert swiftly steers them onto the sandbar, waiting patiently as Ben deftly jumps off his back in an impressive display of athleticism—followed by Rey, who stumbles off Swampert and lands face-first into the soggy sand by the shoreline.<br/><br/></p><p>Ben props his hands on his hips and shakes his head unbelievingly at her. <br/><br/></p><p>“What am I ever going to do with you?” </p><p> </p><p>———</p><p> </p><p>With the help of Growlithe, Rey was able to quickly defrost her body and change into a clean set of clothes before she was able to turn into a giant ice cube. <br/><br/></p><p>She would’ve asked Combusken for help, but Rey didn’t want to take the chance of going from an ice cube to burnt barbecue.  <br/><br/></p><p>Even though Growlithe did a very thorough job of thawing her out, Rey still finds herself shaking like a leaf inside her sleeping bag as she listens to the sounds of the snowstorm raging just outside their tent.<br/><br/><br/>“You’re shivering so hard it’s making <em>my</em> teeth rattle,” Ben comments from his own sleeping bag.</p><p><br/>“S-s-sorry, I’m just r-really c-cold.” <br/><br/></p><p>“Do you want me to get Growlithe back out here? He can sleep beside you if you’d like?” <br/><br/></p><p>“No, I d-don’t want to b-bother him a-anymore, he’s already d-done enough f-for m-me.”<br/><br/></p><p>Ben lets out a helpless sigh. “Are you sure, Rey? I don’t want you to freeze all night. Is there anything I can do to help?”<br/><br/></p><p>The concern in his voice is too much for her heart to handle. “I’ll be okay, I p-promise…unless you h-have some extra r-room in your sleeping bag,” she laughs shakily through a shiver.<br/><br/></p><p>The chattering of her teeth is the only sound biting through the tense moment of silence before Ben opens his mouth to reply.<br/><br/></p><p>“I’ve got plenty of room in here.”<br/><br/></p><p>Rey snaps her jaw shut, letting silence ring out through the tent. <br/><br/></p><p>She only meant her comment to be taken as a joke. There was absolutely no way the two of them would be able to fit inside a single sleeping bag without practically laying on top of each other. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben takes her silence as hesitation. “I just mean—it’s science, you know? We could share our body heat and all that?”<br/><br/></p><p>“No, yeah, for s-sure, purely in a s-scientific sense.” Rey can’t even blame the cold on the way she stutters nervously through her sentence. <br/><br/></p><p>“So… for science…purposes—should you come over here…?”<br/><br/></p><p>“Sure,” Rey squeaks, suddenly feeling a lot hotter than she was a minute ago—maybe she <em> didn’t </em> need to sleep next to him to get warm. But it seems like her brain has other ideas. “All in the name of science.”<br/><br/></p><p>She follows the harsh sound of Ben unzipping his sleeping bag as she crawls through the darkness and fumbles around in search of him. <br/><br/></p><p>“Oh,” she gasps as her hands connect with his forearm. “Hi.”<br/><br/></p><p>“Hi,” he returns in a voice so low it makes her head spin.<br/><br/></p><p>“Do I just…?”<br/><br/></p><p>“Yeah, um…climb in, I guess,” he says over the crinkling of his sleeping bag as he lifts up the side flap. “You can just lay your head on my chest—that’s probably where most of the heat is,” he adds quickly.<br/><br/></p><p>“Right, okay, science,” Rey mumbles while tentatively sliding into the sleeping bag, laying on her left side and gently placing her head on top of his broad chest. She doesn’t know what to do with her hand, so she just lets it awkwardly rest on his chest, curled into a tense fist.<br/><br/></p><p>There’s a little bit of maneuvering and trying to find a comfortable position as Ben reaches over and zips them back up. His right arm wraps around her back and holds her in a loose embrace, almost coaxing a whimper from her lips. Rey prays he can’t feel how fast her heart is beating right now.<br/><br/></p><p>“All good?” Ben shyly asks once they’re settled in. Rey is so close to his neck that she can hear him swallow nervously.<br/><br/></p><p>“All good,” she repeats back to him. And she truly does mean it. <br/><br/></p><p>As nerve-racking as sharing a sleeping bag with Ben feels—it’s also one of the most exhilarating moments of her life. Even flying on the back of an Aerodactyl doesn’t compare.<br/><br/></p><p>His chest is just so soft and warm as he breathes deeply, rocking her head up and down in the sweetest lullaby. Rey is getting lightheaded from greedily inhaling the scent of him from this close up. He smells like cedarwood and pine trees and everything that Rey is starting to recognize as familiar.<br/><br/></p><p>Everything that she’s beginning to associate with <em> home. </em>  <br/><br/></p><p>Feeling marginally more relaxed, Rey begins to rub her feet together to generate even more heat, but her actions cause her heels to rustle against the material of the sleeping bag.<br/><br/></p><p>“What are you, a Kricketune? Why are you rubbing your feet like that?” Ben asks amusedly. The rumbling of his chest as he speaks sends vibrations throughout her entire body.<br/><br/></p><p>“They’re cold,” Rey says indignantly, pressing her feet against his own.<br/><br/></p><p>Ben inhales a sharp breath of surprise. “Don’t do that, your feet are freezing!”<br/><br/></p><p>“I’m <em> wearing </em> socks.”<br/><br/></p><p>“They’re still frozen solid,” he whines while pulling his feet away. <br/><br/></p><p>“Yeah, but yours are nice and warm,” she says sweetly, tangling her feet back into his. She tries not to let her brain get <em>too</em> carried away by just how massive they feel compared to hers.<br/><br/></p><p>“You’re evil,” he grumbles as he starts to slowly rub his right hand up and down her shoulder. Even through all her layers, the action still feels comforting. <br/><br/></p><p>“I thought I was a Kricketune? Now I’m evil?”<br/><br/></p><p>His left hand comes up to lightly pinch her cheek. “Who’s the one making dad jokes now?” <br/><br/></p><p>Rey swats his fingers away. When she puts her hand back down, she places it flat on his chest, her fingertips just resting delicately on the soft material of his sweater. <br/><br/></p><p>“Kricketune,” Ben hums in thought. “Should I call you that from now on? I think I prefer it over sweetheart.”<br/><br/></p><p>“No, I like sweetheart better,” she says without hesitation. “It’s an accurate name for me since I’m so sweet.”<br/><br/></p><p>Ben blows a muffled laugh through his nose. “Yeah, cause nothing says <em> sweet </em> like getting into a fight with a Combusken<em>…and </em> a Liepard<em>...and </em> a Croagunk—”<br/><br/></p><p>“Alright, I get it!” Rey laughs, shutting him up with a hand over his mouth—which Ben promptly sticks his tongue out and licks.<br/><br/></p><p>“Gross, Ben!” she giggles. “You don’t know where my hand has been.”<br/><br/></p><p>“Yeah I do—it’s been fighting poor, defenseless Pokémon.” <br/><br/></p><p>“Shut up, I barely even fight them. <em> I’m </em> usually the one getting my ass kicked.”<br/><br/></p><p>Ben snorts. “Yeah, you’re right about that. I can’t believe Rose’s Croagunk really put you in an ankle lock over a stolen marshmallow.” <br/><br/></p><p>“That little creep better watch his back. I won’t go so easy on him next time,” she grumbles, nuzzling her cheek deeper into his chest. “Maybe I’ll get the chance to see him and the professor when I become champion.”<br/><br/></p><p>By now, Ben’s body heat is doing an effective job in keeping Rey pleasantly toasty. She’s so comfortable she’s actually finding it hard to keep her eyes open—lulled by the steady movement of Ben’s breathing.<br/><br/></p><p>“Rey?”<br/><br/></p><p>“Hm?” she yawns.<br/><br/></p><p>“What happens if you can’t beat the champion?”</p><p><br/>Rey groggily cracks one eye open in confusion. <br/><br/></p><p>“Kyle? Don’t worry, I shouldn’t have any trouble beating a guy named Kyle.” <br/><br/></p><p>“It’s <em> Kylo,” </em> he corrects through his teeth. Rey blinks in reaction to his annoyed tone, now feeling drastically more awake than moments prior. “I’m serious, what would you do?”<br/><br/></p><p>“I…don’t know,” she says slowly. “Losing was never something that I spent much time thinking about. I always envisioned myself winning.”<br/><br/></p><p>“Yeah, but what if you don’t?” he whispers into the dark. “What if…what if you lose, Rey? Will you just keep trying and trying until you can finally beat him?”<br/><br/></p><p>It’s a sobering thought—one she hasn’t examined too thoroughly for fear of it coming true. What <em> would </em> she do if she couldn’t beat the champion? Would her life just turn into her mindlessly battling him over and over again until she could finally win? <br/><br/></p><p>Rey doesn’t believe that’s much of a life at all—it’s definitely not something she wants for herself.<br/><br/></p><p>“I don’t think so,” she answers haltingly. “Maybe I'd try again a couple of times, just to make sure…but it depends.”<br/><br/></p><p>“On what?” <br/><br/></p><p>Rey softly taps her fingers against his chest in thought. <em> On you, </em> she wants to say.<br/><br/></p><p>There was no point in wasting her life away by repeatedly challenging the champion when there was another, more enticing option available. An option where Rey could spend that time endeavouring to build a life with Ben—if that was something he also wanted. <br/><br/></p><p>Because she still wasn’t sure if Ben was going to leave her once her journey came to an end. <br/><br/></p><p>“What happens if I do become champion?” she asks instead, ignoring his question. “What are <em> you </em> going to do? Do you think—would you—” <br/><br/></p><p>Rey begins to tremble as she voices her greatest fear. “Would you grow bored of me, do you think? Would you want to move on to your next great adventure?” <br/><br/></p><p>“I could never grow bored of you,” he answers instantly—ardently whispering against the top of her head. “Don’t ever think that, Rey. I wouldn’t leave you if you became champion…I’d stay with you—if that’s something you want,” he says in a small voice. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey’s heart breaks at the uncertainty that wobbles through his tone. <br/><br/></p><p>“I do, I <em> do </em> want,” she fiercely whispers into his chest, trying her best to quell his worries. “But what if I don’t win? What if I decide to keep trying?” <br/><br/></p><p>Rey holds her breath in anticipation, clutching his sweater in her fist as she nervously awaits his answer. <br/><br/></p><p>But Ben just slips his hand into hers, replacing the material of his sweater with his gentle touch. “If you want to keep challenging the champion until you’re able to achieve your dreams, then I’ll be right there with you—<em>every</em> step of the way. You can’t get rid of me <em> that </em> easily,” he adds dryly. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey shakily lets out the breath she was holding in a surprised puff of laughter. <br/><br/></p><p>“I’d <em> stay, </em> Rey. Win or lose, I’ll stay with you—for as long as you want me to.” Ben tenderly rubs his thumb on the back of her hand, speaking to her in his most reverent tone. “No matter what happens—I’ll stay. I <em> promise.”<br/><br/></em></p><p>It sounds too good to be true, there’s no way she could have the best of both worlds. Rey honestly feels like she could cry right now. This is what she has been yearning for all along—reassurance that no matter what happens, Ben will be with her. <br/><br/></p><p>After all these years of searching, Rey has finally found her home. And her home is <em> Ben.<br/><br/></em></p><p>“What if I’ll always want you to stay?” Rey breathes in question. <br/><br/></p><p>“Then you’ll have me,” he says simply, like it’s the easiest answer in the world. “Forever.”<br/><br/></p><p>“Forever is a long time.”<br/><br/></p><p>Rey can feel him shake his head, the ends of his hair brushing her forehead in featherlight kisses. “With you? Forever’s not long enough.”<br/><br/></p><p>Rey swallows back her tears. She can’t believe what she’s hearing. Ben <em> wants </em> her. He’s not going to leave her and he’s not going to abandon her—he wants to stay with her. Forever.<br/><br/></p><p>It seems like they've both finally found their place in this world.<br/><br/></p><p>Overcome with affection, Rey delicately tilts her head upwards to peer at him—just able to make out the outline of his face in the dark as she faintly presses her lips against his cheek, kissing her favourite dimple in the sweetest caress. <br/><br/></p><p>When she puts her head back in place, with Ben holding her body tightly in the safety of his embrace—Rey can’t help but think they fit perfectly together. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey falls asleep to the strong rhythm of a beating pulse against her ribs, not certain if she was feeling her heart or his. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>everyone’s so happy and in love!! nothing could possibly go wrong!!! </p><p> </p><p>also, chapter count is going up by at least one, but maybe two more chapters 🙈</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. I am the Sentret</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I don’t know if anyone will care about such a trivial detail, but I know an egg technically counts as one of the six Pokémon on a trainer’s team, but let’s pretend that doesn’t apply here, cause I really want Rey to have one more Pokémon :) </p><p>And on that note, thanks to <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/IslandOwlArcher/pseuds/IslandOwlArcher">IslandOwlArcher</a> for suggesting Rey’s final Pokémon!!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“I know someone’s in there!” Rey pounds her fist three times against the metal shutters in rapid succession. “Let me in!”<br/><br/></p><p>“You know the metal can’t understand you, right?” <br/><br/></p><p>She’d been at it for about ten minutes straight, banging on the unforgiving steel gate that served as the entrance of Spikemuth—a city that Ben is quickly beginning to associate with blinding headaches.<br/><br/></p><p>About a minute into her shouting, realizing that she wasn’t anywhere <em> close </em> to done, Ben climbed on top of a wooden crate stacked against the city’s outer front wall and began to patiently bide his time. <br/><br/></p><p>“The city doesn’t open its gates until later in the morning,” Ben says almost tiredly, rubbing his thumb and index finger in soothing circles against his temples. “Nobody’s going to answer you.”<br/><br/></p><p>Ben winces, almost jostling the egg off his lap, as Rey delivers another jarring slam of her fist against the metal. <br/><br/></p><p>His eyes connect with Combusken’s murderous glare as she hovers nearby with Kirlia and Gengar—not at all pleased that Ben was holding the egg instead of her. <br/><br/></p><p>Not in the mood for Combusken’s antics, Ben returns her glare tenfold, and even goes so far as to stick his tongue out like an impudent child at the fiery Pokémon. <br/><br/></p><p>Only Gengar seems to find this childish behaviour funny, roaring with mirth while Combusken silently fumes. Ben wouldn’t be surprised if steam started spouting out of her ears from the way her entire face boils red in anger. <br/><br/></p><p><em> Tough luck. </em> It was <em> his </em> turn to hold the egg. <br/><br/></p><p>“Gloom, buddy, get in here,” Rey encourages—either not hearing Ben’s comment over the volume of her efforts, or just choosing to completely ignore him. He has a sneaking suspicion it’s the latter. <br/><br/></p><p>“Gloom,” Gloom huffs, his face contorting into a look of fierce determination as he prepares to charge the gate. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben straightens up in alarm. “I wouldn’t do tha—” <br/><br/></p><p><em> —and of course Gloom ignores him. </em> Why would anyone listen to him? It’s not like he’s been giving smart, rational advice all morning. <em> Oh, no—</em>he’s just an idiot who has no idea what he’s talking about. When faced with an impenetrable steel wall, running headfirst into it is obviously the logical thing to do.<br/><br/></p><p>The short, sharp thud of Gloom smashing his head against the metal is almost comical enough for Ben’s sour mood to improve. <em>Almost. <br/><br/></em></p><p>“Oh, it’s hopeless,” Rey moans, banging her forehead against the gate. She turns around and dramatically slides down the length of the cold metal, her heels slowly scraping through the dirt until she lands in a sad little heap.<br/><br/></p><p>As much as Ben wants to continue stewing in his anger, the sight of Rey so crumpled and despondent stirs an overwhelming urge deep within him to comfort her.<br/><br/></p><p>Because he knows that Rey isn’t truly to blame for his snappy behaviour this morning—not even Gloom or Combusken have that honour.<br/><br/></p><p>The only person Ben has to blame is himself.<br/><br/></p><p>Ben had meant every single word of the promise he made to Rey that night they shared his sleeping bag. If she became the champion, or if she wanted to keep attempting to become the champion, then he would undoubtedly be with her throughout it all.<br/><br/></p><p>But he stupidly made such a significant promise without even disclosing the full truth behind his words.   <br/><br/></p><p>Of course he would be with her every step of the way—because she would have to challenge <em> him </em> to claim the title of champion. <br/><br/></p><p>It felt like his heart soared out of his chest when Rey expressed her desire for Ben to stay with her, when his dreams of <em> forever </em> started to look like a reality—but it quickly plummeted when he realized that she may not even want him anymore when she learned the truth.<br/><br/></p><p>And now he can’t stop the guilt from bubbling up in his chest—suffocating him every time he steals greedy looks at the hopeful aura surrounding Rey, wondering if this will be his last chance to bask in her magnificence. <br/><br/></p><p>He has to tell her. </p><p><br/>If Rey shares even a modicum of the immense feelings he has toward her, then she <em> must </em> forgive him for not telling her sooner. She <em> has </em> to. The other outcome is too unbearable to even think of. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben flicks his eyes over to Rey, still hunched on the ground and bending Gloom’s leaves back into place. <br/><br/></p><p>“Hey, don’t worry about the gate,” he begins softly, not wanting Rey to spend another second suffering in such low spirits. “It won’t be long until they open for the day—Spikemuth always keeps their gate closed overnight.”<br/><br/></p><p>Rey looks up at Ben with one of her heartbreakingly beautiful half-smiles. “Yeah, I know, but I hate all this waiting around and doing nothing when I could be challenging the gym.” She smooths out another leaf and shrugs. “I just really wanted to get in there early to give myself some extra time to prepare—and maybe even explore the city a little.”<br/><br/></p><p>Ben huffs a dry laugh. “Trust me, you’re not missing out on anything. Spikemuth is a complete dump.” <br/><br/></p><p>“That’s not true!” Rey exclaims, almost crunching one of Gloom’s leaves again from her enthusiasm. “Spikemuth is one of the coolest cities in the region—did you know they filmed a few scenes of my favourite movie here?” <br/><br/></p><p>Ben frowns. “What’s your favourite movie?” <br/><br/></p><p>She takes a moment to fix the last of Gloom’s bent leaves before swiping the dirt off her hands and turning to face Ben with the most serious and sincere expression he’s ever seen on her.<br/><br/></p><p>“The Phantump Menace.” <br/><br/></p><p>Ben waits for the punchline. When it doesn’t come, he twists a finger in his ear to make sure nothing was obstructing his hearing. <br/><br/></p><p>His lips flop wordlessly. “The—<em>The</em> <em>Phantump Menace?”<br/><br/></em></p><p>“Yup,” she pops her lips. “The way that Darth Marill takes down Flygon Jinn,” she clenches her fist in emotion, “gets me every time.”<br/><br/></p><p>Ben turns his head to the left and right in astonishment, wondering if anyone else is hearing this crap right now. “You’re—you’re serious?”<br/><br/></p><p>“Why wouldn’t I be? After all, it <em> is </em> the best movie to come out of the Starmie Wars franchise.”<br/><br/></p><p><em> “No,” </em> Ben jumps down from the crate in mild outrage—unable to stay seated in reaction to her horrible taste in movies. “Everyone knows ‘The Empoleon Strikes Back’ is the superior movie!”<br/><br/></p><p>Rey pretends to yawn. <em> “Bor-ing,” </em> she draws the word out in two over-exaggerated syllables. <br/><br/></p><p>“What do you mean <em> boring?” </em> He shoves the egg into Combusken’s chest, almost knocking the startled Pokémon over, so he could free his hands to use for emphasis—wildly gesturing them in front of his body as if they could help prove his point. “Emperor Palpitoad is one of the greatest movie villains of all time!” <br/><br/></p><p>“Oh please, Palpitoad is in that movie for like one minute max—and you know how I feel about amphibian Pokémon,” she pretends to have full-body shivers. “If you like Palpitoad that much, then you should’ve loved The Phantump Menace.”<br/><br/></p><p>“The Phantump Menace is one of the most mind-numbingly boring movies I’ve ever seen. I could barely keep my eyes open throughout it.”<br/><br/></p><p>“Well there’s your problem, Ben,” she says like the answer is obvious. “Movies are usually more enjoyable when you keep your eyes open.” <br/><br/></p><p>The amount of self-control it takes to still his trembling lips from erupting into laughter should earn him a medal. <br/><br/></p><p>Leave it to Rey to completely pull Ben out of his bad mood in the blink of an eye—<em>or a corny joke.<br/><br/></em></p><p>Thankfully, he’s spared from giving her the satisfaction of seeing him laugh when a Magnemite zips around the corner and skids to a stop right in front of Rey, floating in curiosity just inches from her face.<br/><br/></p><p>“Oh,” Rey squeaks when the Magnemite sends a tiny shock onto her nose in greeting. “Hello there.”<br/><br/></p><p>Rey clambers to her feet and the Magnemite follows, flying circles around her head all while Rey laughs, flashing her brilliant set of pearly whites while she tries to keep up with the Pokémon’s movements.<br/><br/></p><p>
  <em> She looks so beautiful.<br/><br/></em>
</p><p>The lovely blush blooming on her cheeks as she twirls on the spot reminds him of how pink her cheeks looked when she fell on him during their snowball fight. She looked like an angel above him with the snowflakes falling behind her head, coming down to frame her gorgeous face in the most resplendent halo. Ben knew he wasn’t imagining the way she was staring at his lips—because he was returning the exact same ravenous stare—holding back his overwhelming desire to pull her down and capture her lips with his—snowflakes and all.<br/><br/></p><p>The dulcet tone of Kirlia clearing her throat in one short and melodious peal makes Ben quickly mash his lips together in embarrassment. He forgot Kirlia was able to read the moods of the people around her. <br/><br/></p><p>“That tickles,” Rey giggles, playfully ducking her head away from the Magnemite as he tries to press the ends of his magnets against her cheeks in what Ben assumes is supposed to be his version of a kiss.<br/><br/></p><p>Ben clenches his jaw. There is no way in hell that he’s jealous of a Magnemite. That would be preposterous—nothing could be further from the truth.<br/><br/></p><p>“Hmph,” Kirlia chirrups, crossing her arms against her chest and inclining her head towards Ben as she throws him a smug, knowing glare. <br/><br/></p><p>
  <em> Alright, maybe he was jealous of a Magnemite. <br/><br/></em>
</p><p>But he can’t help the way he feels. Those should be <em> his </em> lips on Rey that are making her laugh and smile—not some dumb, metallic, sorry excuses for a pair of lips. <br/><br/></p><p>“What—” Ben begins to speak in a feeble, uncertain voice, but Rey’s laughter completely drowns him out. He tries again in a more confident, louder tone. “What a stupid Pokémon, am I right?” he laughs awkwardly to hide his jealousy. Rey finally tears her eyes off of Magnemite and onto Ben. “Don’t let him get too close to a fridge,” he tries to say jokingly, but it just comes out harsh. <em> Shit. </em> “Cause of the…the magnets…get it?” he finishes weakly.<br/><br/></p><p>Rey stares at him in disgust. “Wow, Ben. I can’t believe how insensitive you’re being.”<br/><br/></p><p>His heart drops.</p><p><br/>“I mean, really—making fun of a Pokémon’s appearance? Who would do such a thing?” Rey manages to keep a straight face for an impressive two seconds, before bursting into a string of adorable snickers.<br/><br/></p><p>Ben lets out a sigh of relief and rolls his eyes good-naturedly—barely able to contain his own smile that forms as a result of her goofiness.<br/><br/></p><p>“You should've seen your face,” she snorts, the Magnemite zooming around her shoulders in excitement, delighted by Rey’s amusement. “I thought you were about to faint.” <br/><br/></p><p>“Because I thought you were serious!” he booms in defense, stalking towards her and shaking his head in disbelief. “You’re a menace, you know that?”<br/><br/></p><p>“Yes,” she answers instantly, grinning and lifting her hands up in surrender as Ben gets closer to her. “A Phantump Menace.” <br/><br/></p><p>Rey’s giggle morphs into a yelp of surprise as Ben pounces on her—crushing his arms around her in a huge bear hug, lifting her up and swinging her back and forth while her legs dangle helplessly above the ground.<br/><br/></p><p>“You think you're <em> so </em> funny, don’t you?” he growls right into her ear, trying to be as intimidating as possible—but his laughter is really making it hard to appear so. “Say you’re sorry,” he threatens with a chuckle, squeezing her tighter.<br/><br/></p><p>“Never!” The muffled sound of her mighty objection coming from somewhere against his chest only makes him laugh even harder. <br/><br/></p><p>He continues to shake her around, encouraged by the endearing way she snorts uncontrollably in his hold. “Promise you’ll stop making fun of—”<br/><br/></p><p>
  <em> Zap. </em>
</p><p><br/>It feels like a million pinpricks shoot through the back of his neck and radiate down to his arms, causing him to lose his grip on Rey as she falls to the ground.<br/><br/></p><p><em> “Magnemite,” </em> the robotic voice of the Pokémon says, hovering protectively over Rey as he threateningly narrows his one, orb-like eye at Ben.<br/><br/></p><p>“Looks like someone has a crush,” Ben mutters, pouting as he rubs the lingering tingles off his neck. <br/><br/></p><p>“How is it that you’re the one who got shocked, yet <em> I’m </em> the one on the ground?” Rey grumbles, ignoring Ben’s comment and stumbling to her feet. “Did you just absorb the electricity?” Her mouth suddenly curls into a wry smile. “Maybe now you’ll be able to shoot lightning out of your hands like Emperor Palpitoad.”<br/><br/></p><p>Ben blows an amused puff of air through his nose. “Yeah, so your little metal boyfriend better watch it,” he says sarcastically, glowering at the Pokémon before addressing him in a biting tone. “Shouldn’t you run along home to whatever junkyard you came from?”<br/><br/></p><p>Magnemite stares Ben down while his whole body crackles with angry static charges.<br/><br/></p><p>“Be nice,” Rey chides, gallantly stepping in front of Ben to shield him from any more of the Pokémon’s attacks. Her expression turns thoughtful as she observes the way Magnemite slowly calms down. “Hold on—where <em> did </em> you come from?”<br/><br/></p><p><em> “Magnemite.” </em> All prior traces of hostility are gone from his robotic tone as he floats a lap around Rey’s head before flying over to the city gate.<br/><br/></p><p>“You’re from Spikemuth?” Rey’s entire face lights up. “Could you get us inside the city?” <br/><br/></p><p>The Magnemite happily nods his body up and down, eager to have the opportunity to help Rey in whatever capacity he can. He flies another excited lap around her before tilting one of his magnets upward to indicate that they should follow him.<br/><br/></p><p>“Come on, guys,” Rey calls over to her ragtag group of Pokémon. “We’ve found our way into the city—all thanks to Magnemite,” she adds with a grin. </p><p><br/>Ben is about one second away from running over to the city gate and ripping the metal shutters wide open with his bare hands to prove to Rey that hecan get her inside the city <em>too.</em><br/><br/></p><p>“Now let’s go crush this gym!” She smiles brightly at Ben before disappearing around the corner, Gloom and Combusken waddling after her, followed by Kirlia throwing him a pitying glance, while Gengar just straight up smacks the back of his already sensitive neck as the Pokémon’s throaty laughter fills the air.<br/><br/></p><p>Ben takes a deep breath through his nose. It’s moments like this, Ben wishes he really <em> could </em>shoot lightning from his hands.</p><p> </p><p>———</p><p> </p><p>“Is that—is that a Rattata eating a slice of pizza?” <br/><br/></p><p>The Magnemite had led them through a secret entrance near the back of the city, hidden behind stacks upon stacks of giant abandoned shipping containers. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey’s optimistic attitude as she strolled into the city with her team of equally confident Pokémon faltered as she surveyed the dingy sight before her.<br/><br/></p><p>“No, wait—I think that’s <em> two </em> Rattatas fighting over a slice of pizza,” Ben corrects.<br/><br/></p><p>The street was practically abandoned, save for the stray pieces of litter clogging the gutters. Almost all of the buildings were haphazardly boarded up with jagged pieces of wood and plastered with colourful graffiti. Only the eerie whistling of the wind and the low buzzing hum of countless neon signs could be heard as they stepped deeper into the street. <br/><br/></p><p>“I don’t know,” Rey recovers quickly, “I think it gives the city <em> character,” </em> she says at the same time a Grimer sticks its slimy arm out of a storm drain and scoops a bunch of garbage into its mouth.<br/><br/></p><p>“Character?” Ben asks doubtfully. “I think I just saw a Mr. Mime in a trench coat walk into that alley over there.” <br/><br/></p><p>Rey gasps, gripping Ben’s forearm in excitement while she points to the area in question. “That’s the alley where Jar Jar Jynx got into a fight with Sebulbasaur! It looks exactly like it did in the movie,” she marvels.<br/><br/></p><p>Ben screws his face up as he watches a Zigzagoon dig through a trash can, knocking it over and spilling its contents across the alley in the process. “Well, I don’t know if ‘exactly’ is the right word to use,” he says dryly. <br/><br/></p><p>“How would you know?” Rey peers up at him with her hands propped on her hips. “You had your eyes closed during the movie.”<br/><br/></p><p>Ben opens his mouth to reply, but quickly shuts it. After all, she <em> does </em> have a point—something Rey realizes as well, with the way she smugly lifts her eyebrows at him.<br/><br/></p><p><em> Now that look just won’t do at all, </em> he thinks mischievously, right before he knocks her ball cap off her head in one swift movement and pushes it down over his own head. <br/><br/></p><p>“Hey—” </p><p><br/>“Come on, Kricketune,” Ben cheerily cuts off her cries of protest as he wraps one arm around her shoulder and pulls her against the side of his body. “We’ve got a gym to beat.” <br/><br/></p><p><em> “I’ve </em> got a gym to beat,” Rey corrects as she continues to be helplessly dragged down the street by Ben. “And give me my hat back—you’ve got your own!”<br/><br/></p><p>“Yeah, but I like yours better. Besides, a Kricketune doesn’t need to wear a hat.” <br/><br/></p><p>“Don’t call me that!” <br/><br/></p><p>“Whatever you say…<em>Kricketune,” </em> he teases through a devious grin, flinching when Rey pokes him in the ribs. <br/><br/></p><p>They continue to walk towards the gym—laughing as they dodge the angry flocks of Pidoves that swoop down and try to peck at them—letting Rey use his body as a shield when some of the more daring ones get too close. <br/><br/></p><p>When the street finally comes to a seemingly dead-end, Rey hesitates. “Where’s the gym?” <br/><br/></p><p>“You’re looking at it,” Ben waves his upturned palm through the air, gesturing to the wide open space that serves as the gym—it looks more like a parking lot than a Pokémon gym. <br/><br/></p><p>“But…there’s no stadium.” Rey stares perplexed at the handful of people roaming around the makeshift gym.<br/><br/></p><p>“You still think Spikemuth is the coolest city in the region?” Ben nudges his hip against hers, drawing her out of her shock. <br/><br/></p><p>She gives her head a shake. “It doesn’t matter what I think—I’m still gonna crush this gym—er, or this...sort of gym—right guys?” Rey turns to her eager team of Pokémon as they all nod and chirp in agreement. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben can’t help but crack a tiny smile at their enthusiasm. Even Combusken clucks in excitement, only giving Ben a <em> slightly </em> dirty look when handing over the egg. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey begins to return each of them to their poké balls, stopping when she reaches Magnemite to fix him with a pensive stare. “What do you say, buddy—would you like to join the family?” She flashes him a broad smile and brandishes a poké ball in his direction.<br/><br/></p><p><em> “Magnemite,” </em> he joyfully agrees, spiralling into a backflip at the prospect as Rey captures him in a poké ball mid-flip.<br/><br/></p><p>It’s difficult, but Ben manages not to rip that poké ball right out of her grasp and throw it as far away as he possibly can. <br/><br/></p><p>“Alright, I’m off,” Rey announces as she clips the newly acquired poké ball to her belt. “This badge isn’t going to win itself,” she laughs, turning to walk towards the registration booth.<br/><br/></p><p>But Ben catches her hand before she can make it very far, pulling her wide-eyed expression back to face him. <br/><br/></p><p>“Good luck,” he whispers softly, letting go of her hand to gently cradle the side of her head as he places a fleeting kiss to her hairline.<br/><br/></p><p>When he pulls back, he’s gifted with the sight of Rey’s cheeks flushing the loveliest shade of pink as she offers him a shy nod before bolting off to her battle.<br/><br/></p><p>Ben lets out a laugh at how fast she scurries away from him, grinning ear to ear as he makes his way to an area behind a chain-link fence reserved for the audience—but really it’s only him and a couple other people in the ‘crowd.’<br/><br/></p><p>It’s a nice change of pace for Ben to not have to disguise himself so heavily in order to watch Rey battle without being recognized. He doubts the random assortment of people here would ever guess that the champion would be sitting among them. <br/><br/></p><p>Feeling pleasantly relaxed, Ben leans slightly against the fence with the egg lazily nestled in his arms, watching intently as Rey sends out Kirlia to face off against Scrafty—the first opponent on Enric Pryde’s team of dark type Pokémon. <br/><br/></p><p>Despite this being her seventh gym challenge, it doesn’t stop the wondrous feeling it inspires in Ben when he watches her battle. She’s just <em> that </em> good with her Pokémon. She’s definitely come a long way since that girl he met in the wild area with only a Gloom on her belt. <br/><br/></p><p>He couldn’t be more proud of her.<br/><br/></p><p>“Excuse me?” </p><p><br/>A shy voice coming from his right side startles him into almost dropping the egg. When he looks at the source of the voice, he’s met with a little boy who couldn’t be more than eight or nine years old. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben clears his throat. “Yes?” he asks the boy, not unkindly.<br/><br/></p><p>“Could I please get your autograph, mister champion?” he timidly asks, his eyes studiously fixed on the ground as he lifts up a pair of trembling hands, holding out a marker and—unexpectedly—a poster of Ben. <br/><br/></p><p>“Um,” Ben hums, darting a quick look back at Rey who seems totally engrossed in her battle as Kirlia takes down Pryde’s Obstagoon with a well-aimed psychic attack. “Sure, kid. Who should I make it out to?”<br/><br/></p><p>The boy tells Ben his name and watches raptly as he begins to sign his <em> Kylo Ren </em> signature onto the bottom of the poster with a flourish. <br/><br/></p><p>“I want to be a Pokémon master just like you when I grow up,” the boy tells Ben, growing more confident in his presence. “But I haven’t been able to catch a Growlithe just yet,” he grumbles.<br/><br/></p><p>“Oh?” He smiles at the boy, finishing up his signature. “Well, you can still be a Pokémon master without a Growlithe.”<br/><br/></p><p>“Really?” the boy asks, voice full of wonder.<br/><br/></p><p>Ben nods and hands back the poster. “As long as you train your Pokémon well and treat them with kindness and respect—” <br/><br/></p><p>His eyes drift to Rey, who has now sent Mudsdale out to battle, shouting a string of passionate praise at her Pokémon for the way she delivers a final blow to Pryde’s Skuntank. <br/><br/></p><p>“—you’ll have no trouble achieving your dreams.”</p><p> </p><p>———</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, what did that kid want?”<br/><br/></p><p>They’re walking through the poorly lit tunnel connecting route nine with route seven, Growlithe helpfully leading the charge with evenly spaced out ember attacks to light the way. <br/><br/></p><p>“Huh?” Ben asks dazedly, having been lost in his thoughts. <br/><br/></p><p>“That little boy who you were talking to in the crowd,” Rey clarifies as she shifts Gloom to a more comfortable position in her arms. “What did he want?” </p><p><em><br/>Crap. </em> Maybe Rey wasn’t as absorbed into her battle as he thought she was. Even though he’s <em> slightly </em> panicking, his heart still tugs at the fact that, despite being mid-battle, Rey used some of her precious time to spare him a glance.<br/><br/></p><p>“Oh, <em> that </em> boy,” Ben says like he finally realized who she was talking about—as if he had such a wide pool of people that Rey might be referencing. “Uh, yeah, he just uh…wanted directions.” <br/><br/></p><p>“Directions?” Rey throws him a dubious look, her face briefly illuminated in a red glow just as Growlithe releases another spark of embers. “He wanted directions from <em> you?” <br/><br/></em></p><p>Ben starts to sweat. “Yes…?” he confirms in an uncertain tone, making his answer come out more like a question. <br/><br/></p><p>“Then I feel bad for that poor boy,” she says wryly. “If he got directions from <em> you</em>, then he’s probably hopelessly lost somewhere on the other side of the region by now.”<br/><br/></p><p>Ben releases the breath he was holding in a shaky laugh. “At least he didn’t ask <em> you</em>—otherwise he’d be arrested for trying to steal the map hanging up in Spikemuth’s Pokémon Center.”<br/><br/></p><p>“For the millionth time,” Rey says exasperatedly, “I <em> borrowed </em> that map. I told you I’d give it back as soon as I’m done with my journey.”<br/><br/></p><p>Ben nods, even though Rey can’t see him, and grows quiet as he processes her last statement. <br/><br/></p><p>It wouldn’t be much longer until her journey would come to a surely spectacular conclusion. Rey only needed to earn one more gym badge in order to qualify for challenging the elite four—hence why they’re currently circling back to Hammerlocke so she could finally have her long-awaited battle with Poe. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben had spent the remainder of her battle against Pryde solidifying his decision to tell Rey his secret sometime before they reached Hammerlocke. <br/><br/></p><p>However, he was having a hard time working up the courage to broach the subject. <br/><br/></p><p>Every time he looked over at her beautiful face, Ben was reminded of every good thing he stands to lose if spilling his secret would backfire. So instead, he would cowardly back down, reasoning that it just wasn’t the right moment for such a monumental confession. <br/><br/></p><p>Like right now for example, as they reach the end of the tunnel, emerging on top of a giant canyon overlooking a scenic view of the sprawling valley beneath them—Ben has no intention of ruining the excitement shining on Rey’s face as she carelessly drops her backpack on the ground and races to get a better look over the rocky gorge.<br/><br/></p><p>Ben <em> cautiously </em>follows her onto the perilously high stone bridge that is suspended over the valley, carefully setting his backpack down beside hers and quickly checking if the egg inside her backpack had cracked from Rey’s haste to shrug it off her shoulders. Maybe it was a good thing they had Combusken’s help with the egg, otherwise Ben thinks Rey would’ve scrambled it by now. </p><p><br/>“Take a look at this view, Gloom!” she exclaims, peering over the railing as she holds on tight to her Pokémon. “Have you ever seen anything like it?”<br/><br/></p><p>“Gloom,” he replies, equally in awe while he waves his little hand at the speck-sized Pokémon at the bottom of the valley as if they would be able to see him. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben allows himself a small moment to stare fondly at the two of them before Rey suddenly turns around—almost like she could feel the intensity of his eyes on her.<br/><br/></p><p>She smiles as she sets Gloom down and stands back up to reach her hand out towards him. “Come on, I promised you once that I wouldn’t let you fall. I still mean it.”<br/><br/></p><p>Ben swallows nervously and takes one hesitant step, then another, until finally he’s able to grab her hand, letting her magnetic force pull him into her orbit. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey keeps her grip on his hand, gently intertwining their fingers and guiding him to stand next to her and face the view over the canyon. Her hand feels so fragile in his grasp, so he takes extra care not to crush it in his panic-ridden state. <br/><br/></p><p>“Breathe,” she says soothingly, rubbing her thumb over the back of his hand. “I’m here, I’m not going to let go.”<br/><br/></p><p>It feels like Ben’s fear of heights disappears entirely when Rey lays her head against his shoulder in a move so tender, it almost brings a tear to his eye. He gladly reciprocates, gently resting his head lightly on top of hers. <br/><br/></p><p>They stay like this for so long that Ben can no longer differentiate between whose heartbeat he can feel pounding in his ears—like both of their rhythms are melding into one. Regardless, it feels exquisite to be close to Rey like this, reveling in the heady safety of being so utterly comfortable with each other. <br/><br/></p><p>Suddenly, Rey begins to slowly turn her face up towards his, and Ben finds that he is helpless to mirror her delicate movements, drawn to her as if they were connected on the same invisible string. <br/><br/></p><p>When their gazes meet, he’s blinded by the way the sun melts her eyes into the most brilliant shade of gold—only serving to accentuate the light dusting of freckles scattered all over her face that he’s grown so fond of.<br/><br/></p><p>“Rey,” he whispers, his eyes greedily roaming her features, not sure what part of her to focus on. He’s hit with such an overwhelming wave of affection for her in this moment that he doesn’t know what to do except squeeze her hand as tightly as he can, conveying that he’s <em> here </em> with her. <br/><br/></p><p>Her eyes turn hooded as she glances down to his lips, sending Ben’s heart into overdrive, fluttering madly in his chest in anticipation. <br/><br/></p><p>“Don’t be afraid,” she breathes featherlight against his slightly parted lips, “I feel it too.” <br/><br/></p><p>The warmth of her breath hitting his mouth is an unbelievably intoxicating sensation, her lips only a hair's breadth away from him now. <em> Please, </em> he pleads, not entirely sure what for, as he closes his eyes, <em> please—<br/><br/></em></p><p>Never has Ben been more livid to hear the sound of Growlithe barking than he is in this moment. <br/><br/></p><p>The sound of his growls causes them both to jump in surprise and knock their faces together, Rey’s nose connecting with Ben’s forehead in a sickening crunch.<br/><br/></p><p>She recoils instantly, cradling her nose in pain. “Oh, fuck,” she groans, muffled through her hands. “I forgot how rock-hard your head is.” <br/><br/></p><p>Ben hesitantly lifts his hand up to cup her face, but thinks better of it, stepping back instead, feeling drastically less confident now that the intimacy they built only moments ago crumbles into dust.<br/><br/></p><p>“Shit, I’m sorry, Rey. Do you think it’s broken?” His face pinches in concern.<br/><br/></p><p>“No, no, I’ll be okay,” she waves his worries away. “I’ve had a lot worse than a bumped nose,” she laughs, turning to face a still barking Growlithe. “But I can’t say the same about your backpack.” <br/><br/></p><p>Ben turns around and finds that Growlithe was barking because Gloom had started rifling through his bag, the contents of it strewed all over the bridge. <em> Probably looking for snacks, the little fiend. <br/><br/></em></p><p>“Gloom!” Rey admonishes. “You can’t do stuff like that.” She starts to walk towards her disobedient Pokémon as she throws a lazy glance over her shoulder. “Don’t worry, I’ll get your stuff before it flies away—you try and calm Growlithe down.”<br/><br/></p><p>“It’s okay, I can do it,” he tries to protest shakily, but she doesn’t hear him, too preoccupied with bending over and beginning to collect his belongings.<br/><br/></p><p>Ben crouches down beside Growlithe, ruffling his fur until his growls die down to low, content rumbles. “You couldn’t have waited a few more seconds before barking?” He sighs against his Pokémon’s head, not truly mad at him. It’s more like he’s mad at himself for not having the courage to close the distance between their lips sooner. <br/><br/></p><p>“Ben?” Rey calls out to him, her voice sounding odd. “Is this…”<br/><br/></p><p>When he snaps his neck towards her, he’s able to make out the white flower Rey gave him back in Motostoke, now withered and dried out as she holds it gingerly in her palm.<br/><br/></p><p>“I can explain—” <br/><br/></p><p>“You kept it?” she asks in a hushed and awestruck tone.<br/><br/></p><p><em> Oh. </em> His breath hitches. “You gave it to me,” he explains like it’s obvious. “Of <em> course </em> I kept it.”<br/><br/></p><p>The smile that blooms on her face is prettier than any flower he’s ever seen.</p><p><em><br/>“Ben,” </em> she says sweetly, making his knees turn weak—hoping that Rey would use that tone more often when saying his name. “I’ll have to buy you a flower press book once we reach Hammerlocke. Your flower collecting hobby needs some serious improvement,” she laughs, examining the crumbling petals.<br/><br/></p><p>He happily joins in on her laughter. “It’s a date,” he agrees.<br/><br/></p><p>That earns him an adorable nose scrunch from Rey, shyly looking away from him as she continues to rove her eyes around his scattered belongings. <br/><br/></p><p><em> A date. </em> He’s going on a <em> date </em> with Rey. He doesn’t even care how goofy his toothy grin must look right now—he’s going on a <em> date. <br/><br/></em></p><p>“Oh, what's this? Are you keeping naughty pictures of yourself in your wallet, Ben?” She chuckles as she cocks her head and squints at his open wallet on the ground.<br/><br/></p><p><em> Naughty pictures? </em> The only picture Ben has in his wallet is— <br/><br/></p><p>“Hey, I thought you said you didn’t have your League Card on you?” She bends over to pick up one of the cards that had fallen out, bringing it up to her eyes to get a closer look. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben shoots up onto his feet in record speed—which is pretty impressive considering the way his whole body goes numb. “Rey—”<br/><br/></p><p>“What’s with the outfit?” she teases. “Is this why you didn’t want me to see your card?” Rey lifts her head to smile at him, not registering the panic on his face, and quickly darts her eyes back on the card. “Because this cape makes you look like a thousand year...old…vampire…” The end of her sentence loses momentum, her voice coming out slow and weak as she reads the name on the card.<br/><br/></p><p>Ben tries to gulp, but struggles from how dry his throat has become, due to the fact that his life is about to come crashing down around him.<br/><br/></p><p>Rey narrows her eyes as she flips the card over, her mouth silently moving as she reads the blurb written on the back. He’s just able to make out the faint sound of some of the words falling out of her astonished lips. <em> “Kylo Ren…claimed victory…first attempt…unbeaten...”<br/><br/></em></p><p>Her jaw drops as she flicks her eyes from the card to Ben. <br/><br/></p><p><em> “Champion,” </em> she breathes, barely audible—yet it’s still loud enough to make the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. <br/><br/></p><p>He doesn’t know how long they stand across the bridge from each other, speechless, as they hold each other’s incredulous stares, but Ben knows he can’t take the silence much longer.<br/><br/></p><p>“Rey,” he starts to approach her with his palms innocently facing upwards. He shakes his head once, helplessly. “Please—”<br/><br/></p><p><em> “No,” </em> she gasps, taking a step back. “You—you—I <em> trusted </em> you.”<br/><br/></p><p>Ben continues to frantically shake his head as he tries to reach for her, but she flinches from his touch, throwing his wallet into his chest instead.<br/><br/></p><p>His arms automatically fly up to catch it. “Please, Rey—I didn’t mean for—let me ex—<em>oof,” </em> he grunts as Rey shoves his backpack into him and takes another few steps back.<br/><br/></p><p>“How—why didn’t you tell me?” she flusters, blinking her eyes rapidly. “You <em> knew </em> I dreamed of becoming champion, but—but you…” she trails off, her face frozen in shock.<br/><br/></p><p>“I know, Rey, I <em> know.” </em>His attempt of assuring her comes out strained. “I didn't mean to keep it from you at first, but it—it just got out of hand and I thought—I just—I didn’t think you’d ever find out,” he finishes lamely. <br/><br/></p><p><em> That </em> breaks her out of her state of shock, snapping her fiery gaze back on him and curling her top lip over her teeth. “Didn’t think I’d find out?” she repeats with a sharp laugh. “So you thought I wouldn’t be good enough to make it all the way to the elite four? That I wouldn’t be <em> strong </em> enough to challenge you?”<br/><br/></p><p>“No, that’s not what I meant—”</p><p><br/>“Is your name even Ben? Or was that also a lie, <em>Kylo?” </em>she spits out bitterly. <br/><br/></p><p>“I’ve never lied to you, Rey. I <em> swear. </em> Everything I’ve told you about myself is true, except—except—”<br/><br/></p><p>“Except the most important part of your life,” she laughs without humor. “I told you <em> everything </em> about my life, I opened up to you—the things I’ve told you—I’ve never told <em> anyone.”<br/><br/></em></p><p>“Rey, I know, sweetheart—”</p><p><em><br/>“Don’t,” </em> she bites, her voice pure acid. “You don’t get to call me that anymore. Not after this—” she waves her hand between them, “—whatever this was.”<br/><br/></p><p>“You don’t mean that,” he pleads, feeling the tears start to pool in his eyes.<br/><br/></p><p>“Was this whole thing just an act?” she barrels on, her anger almost palpable in the air between them. “Were you just spying on me to get close to your competition? Gather information on the way I battle—learn all my secrets—so you’d have no trouble beating me and keeping your title?” <br/><br/></p><p>“What?” he asks unbelievingly, starting to get worked up from her accusations. “No, I would <em> never</em>—how could you think that?” <br/><br/></p><p>“Why <em> wouldn’t </em> I think that, Ben?” Her voice breaks when she says his name. “You’ve been hiding the fact that you're the champion from me all this time, what am I supposed to think?” <br/><br/></p><p>“You’re supposed to trust me when I tell you the reason I kept it from you had nothing to do with defending my title,” he says desperately. “It wasn’t an act, Rey.” <br/><br/></p><p>“How can I <em> ever </em> trust you again?” she barks, her face red in anger as tears start to stream down her cheeks. She shakes them away from her face. “Tell me! Tell me how I’m supposed to <em> ever </em> trust you after this?” <br/><br/></p><p>“Trust me, because—because—” he hesitates. <br/><br/></p><p>“Tell me!” she yells. “Why’d you do it, Ben? What other reason could you possibly have for following me around the region for <em> months </em> on end? <em> Why!?”<br/><br/></em></p><p>
  <em> “Because I love you!” </em>
</p><p><br/>It feels like time stops entirely on the silent bridge as he stares at the way Rey’s lips part in surprise, her limbs frozen in place. <br/><br/></p><p>“Because,” he says breathlessly. “Because I love you so much it <em> hurts, </em> Rey—it hurts to even <em> think </em> about what my life would've been like if you didn't let me into yours—I would’ve followed you to the ends of the <em> world </em> if you asked me to.”<br/><br/></p><p>Her bottom lip trembles as tears silently trail down her cheeks.<br/><br/></p><p>“I’ve <em> loved </em> travelling with you, <em> living </em> with you, watching the way you battle,” he begins to passionately pick up speed. “Hell, Rey—you’re like nothing I’ve ever seen before. You’re magnificent,” he breathes in reverence<br/><br/></p><p>Ben takes a deep breath and musters up his courage. <em> Well, it’s now or never. <br/><br/></em></p><p>“Screw being the champion, I’m <em> tired </em> of it. I’m tired, Rey,” he sighs weakly. “These past few months have been <em> everything </em> to me. I’ve felt more emotion in my short time with you than I’ve <em> ever </em> felt in my years of being champion. I don’t care about all that, Rey. It was never about being the champion or defending my title. I’m—I’m in love with you,” he says simply, his lips mashing into a thin line. “I’m in love with your beautiful face, the way you make me laugh, your—your stupid Primeape shirt!” he adds in a frustrated growl. “You’re the first person I think of when I wake up in the morning and the last thing I see before I fall asleep. I can’t—I can’t lose you, Rey. Please.” <br/><br/></p><p>He watches the emotions war on her face, screwing her eyes shut as she shakes her head. When she opens them, she keeps her steely gaze fixed on him as she unclips a poké ball from her belt.<br/><br/></p><p>“I don’t believe you,” she whispers haltingly, shaking the tears from her face. “You’re not going to fool me anymore. If you truly…” she can’t say them, but Ben hears the missing words. <em> If you truly loved me, </em> “...then you would’ve never kept such a big secret from me,” she finishes numbly. <br/><br/></p><p>“Rey,” his voice comes out small. “I promise I’m not lying. I <em> mean </em> it.”<br/><br/></p><p>“Send out a Pokémon,” she says flatly.</p><p><br/>“W-what?”<br/><br/></p><p>“I’m challenging you to a battle. <em> Now.”<br/><br/></em></p><p>“I’m not going to fight you, Rey,” he says dazedly, confused by this turn of events. <br/><br/></p><p>“I’m <em> not </em> asking.” She’s about to throw her poké ball, but Gloom steps in front of her before she’s able to, fixing Ben with a menacing glare, feeling equally betrayed by him.<br/><br/></p><p>“This isn’t going to solve anything, Rey. I <em> know </em> you’re strong, there’s no need to prove it to me.”<br/><br/></p><p>Sensing his trainer in trouble, Growlithe steps up in front of Ben, growling fiercely in Gloom’s direction. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben feels like his heart is being torn apart. He <em> can’t </em> fight Gloom—it’s <em> Gloom </em> for fuck’s sake. The little Pokémon he’s spent the last few months growing to love as his own, there’s no way he can hurt him.<br/><br/></p><p>“Razor leaf,” Rey spits out, short and to the point.<br/><br/></p><p>Gloom obeys, firing sharp leaves out of his head towards Growlithe. <br/><br/></p><p>“Dodge,” Ben says quickly, Growlithe’s practiced steps darting out of the way of Gloom’s attack.<br/><br/></p><p>“Fight back!” Rey viciously snarls, her fists clenching.<br/><br/></p><p>“I can’t,” he says in utter agony. “I can’t—<em>I love you.”<br/><br/></em></p><p><em> “Don’t,” </em> she cries. “Bullet seed, Gloom!”<br/><br/></p><p>Growlithe doesn’t even have the chance to jump away from the attack as it strikes him with startling accuracy.<br/><br/></p><p>“Bite,” Ben commands, his anger at seeing his Pokémon in pain getting the better of him. <br/><br/></p><p>“Agility,” Rey calls out as Gloom bounces out of the way of Growlithe’s unrelenting attempts to bite him, using a tactic <em> Ben </em> showed Rey how to teach her Pokémon.<br/><br/></p><p>“I don’t want to hurt him, Rey,” he says, the two Pokémon continuing to dance around each other. “Call him back.” <br/><br/></p><p>“No! Come on, Gloom, use—” </p><p><br/>Growlithe is finally able to land a bite attack on Gloom's hand, the little Pokémon staggering back a few paces as a result of the assault.<br/><br/></p><p>“Call him back!” Ben begs, his whole body tensed. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey’s face is all gnashing teeth and pure fire as she stares back at him, no signs of backing down. “Again, Gloom, razor leaf!”<br/><br/></p><p>Ever loyal to his trainer, Gloom complies, firing an unrelenting barrage of razor sharp leaves at Growlithe at such a high intensity that Ben’s Pokémon doesn’t stand a chance of dodging.<br/><br/></p><p>Ben can’t do anything but watch as his Pokémon takes the brunt of the attack—barely recovering from it before Rey continues to shout commands.<br/><br/></p><p>“Bullet seed!” </p><p><br/>“No!” he shouts, whipping out Growlithe’s poké ball and returning him, causing Gloom’s attack to ricochet off the stones where Growlithe was standing half a second ago.<br/><br/></p><p>Ben is at a complete loss of what to do. He doesn’t want to hurt Rey any more than he already has by harming her Pokémon. And she doesn’t look like she’s going to back down any time soon. He doesn’t see any other way out of this. <br/><br/></p><p>Flames dance behind Rey’s eyes, lighting up as she watches Ben unclip another poké ball and release his Garchomp—probably itching to continue fighting every single one of his Pokémon.<br/><br/></p><p>But Ben doesn’t want to fight. Not anymore. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey’s face drops as Ben climbs on top of Garchomp’s back. “What are you doing?” her voice is suddenly unsure. “You—you’re flying away from me?” she asks incredulously, all traces of anger disappearing from her face. “But you hate heights!”<br/><br/></p><p>Ben lets out a surprised, watery laugh. Of<em> course </em> she’s making him laugh even at a time like this. That’s such a <em> Rey </em> thing to do—finding humour in such a bleak situation. <br/><br/></p><p>“I can’t keep fighting you, Rey. It’s tearing me apart,” he cries hopelessly, voice quivering. <br/><br/></p><p>“So you’re leaving me? But—but you promised!” Her voice is weak as Garchomp starts to take off. “You said you’d be with me <em> no matter what happens.” <br/><br/></em></p><p>It feels like she has just ripped his heart out of his chest and thrown it on the ground as she recites his promise back to him. It takes every ounce of his self-restraint not to jump back down and envelope her in his embrace—to tell her that everything is going to be alright.<br/><br/></p><p>But Ben doesn’t want to make any more promises he can’t keep. <br/><br/></p><p>“I’m sorry—I don’t have a choice.” His tears start to fully flow as he rapidly ascends into the sky, his heart breaking at her tormented voice.<br/><br/></p><p>“You promised! You promised you’d stay!” she shouts in anguish. <em> “Forever!”<br/><br/></em></p><p>The word reverberates inside his head—torturing him as he flies away. The last thing he sees is Rey crumpling to her knees and shoving her face into her hands, body racking with silent sobs. </p><p>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>why did I write this</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. The Belonging You Seaking is Not Behind You...</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This turned into a monster of a chapter (are we surprised?) So I’m going to split it up into two parts. But I’m posting the next part right away, so there won’t be any wait  :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>If Rey never hears the name <em> Kylo Ren </em> again, it’ll be too soon. <br/><br/></p><p>“I heard that Kylo was on the run because he got caught giving performance enhancers to his Pidgeot. I mean, think about it—have you ever seen a bird as buff as her?” <br/><br/></p><p>Rey sneakily glances over her shoulder at the group of teenagers congregating near the concession stand inside of Hammerlocke stadium.<br/><br/></p><p>“No, you idiot, that’s just a rumour,” a brunette girl says. “The real reason he disappeared for so long was because he was trying to catch a Latios that kept flying around the region. He caused three Poké Marts to run out of stock of ultra balls.” She holds up three fingers and raises her eyebrows. <em> “Three!”<br/><br/></em></p><p>Rey snorts, tapping her fingers impatiently on top of the registration desk, her cheek lazily propped against her fist. <br/><br/></p><p>“No, no, no, you’re all wrong,” a blonde boy emphatically shakes his head. “My cousin works at that boutique—you know the one on Main Street? Well she said that Kylo Ren and some random woman came into her shop to try on a matching pair of Poliwag shirts. I’m telling you, the champion ran off to have some kind of secret whirlwind love affair with this woman.”<br/><br/></p><p>Rey’s tapping rhythm skips a beat. Her fingers hover frozen above the counter, waiting to hear the other teens' reaction.<br/><br/></p><p>But she doesn’t have to wait for long, because there's about five seconds of tense silence before the group erupts into a harsh cacophony of raucous laughter. <br/><br/></p><p>“Yeah, right,” a curly-haired girl says sarcastically. “Kylo Ren in a Poliwag shirt? I’ve never seen him wear anything other than black.”<br/><br/></p><p>“I’m serious,” the blonde insists. “My cousin said that Kylo couldn’t stop looking at the woman with these huge heart eyes, even though she was bossing him around the entire store.” <br/><br/></p><p>Rey clenches her jaw and forces herself to stop eavesdropping. Her eyes wander to the left, where a poster depicting ‘Champion Kylo Ren’ hangs on one of the stadium walls, mocking her. He’s got his arm outstretched in front of him, one hand stiffly clutched around a poké ball, standing with his legs shoulder length apart, and Growlithe sitting primly beside his right foot.<br/><br/></p><p>Rey’s seething glare bores into poster Kylo’s eyes. <em> How did she never notice them before? </em> These posters were plastered inside of every single gym that she’s been to, just hidden in plain sight. <br/><br/></p><p>Maybe it’s the fact that he’s wearing such a stupid outfit in the picture—a full black ensemble, fit with a ridiculous floor-length cape—that made it hard for her to recognize him. Or maybe it’s the dull, emotionless expression he’s sporting, not at all like the varying range of emotions she was used to seeing on his face when she was travelling with him. <br/><br/></p><p>And now that she thinks about it, there was that one time in the Ballonlea gym when Rey saw him frantically rip something down from the wall and hastily shove it inside a trash can, all while Han roared with laughter… <br/><br/></p><p>The woman behind the registration desk clears her throat and flashes Rey a cheery smile, oblivious to her inner turmoil. “Looks like you’re all set to challenge dragon leader Poe.” She slides Rey’s collection of badges over the counter. “You can now make your way to the locker room to prepare for your battle—good luck!”<br/><br/></p><p>She nods curtly, stuffing the badges into her bag while discreetly zoning back in to catch the tail end of the teenagers conversation.<br/><br/></p><p>“I don’t know, man,” the brunette says, throwing a handful of popcorn into her mouth. “Kylo Ren doesn’t seem like the type to drop everything and chase after a girl. Why would he put his life on hold for some cheesy romance? He’s the bloody champion! His life is already perfect.”<br/><br/></p><p>Rey abruptly shoulders her backpack and storms past the teens, unable to stand another second of their gossiping. <em> If only they knew the truth about their precious Kylo Ren</em>.<br/><br/></p><p>She roughly pushes the locker room door open and makes a beeline for the bench, collapsing on top of it and tilting her head back to rest against the cool wall. Rey stares at the drab colour of the chipped ceiling paint, wondering how she ever got herself in this predicament.<br/><br/></p><p>Honestly, she should’ve seen it coming. Things were going <em> too </em> well for her. It was stupid to believe that Ben would be any different than what she was already used to experiencing in her life. She had been abandoned—<em>once again. <br/><br/></em></p><p>Rey feels like such an idiot for not realizing it sooner. The hints were all there, staring her right in the face the entire time. Why didn’t she ever question how Ben was able to travel the region with her—or what kind of job allowed him to do such a thing? <br/><br/></p><p>In the end, she had foolishly opened up her heart to someone who had refused to do the same for her. And now she was paying the agonizing price with her broken heart. <br/><br/></p><p>But what really kills her, is that she trusted him with all of her deepest, darkest secrets. He <em> knew </em> that becoming champion had been her dream since she was a child—yet he said nothing to her about his own champion title, nothing about how one of her greatest idols was his mother. <br/><br/></p><p>Why didn’t she have the sense to realize how he was toying with her? He strung her along and let her believe that her goal was completely achievable despite knowing that she had to defeat him in the end—which he must’ve thought he’d have no trouble doing after spending <em> months </em> observing her battling style and techniques. <br/><br/></p><p>However, Ben has another thing coming if he thinks he’ll be able to beat Rey that easily. He was going to pay for what he did—Rey will make sure of it, even if it’s the last thing she does. He doesn’t get to just walk away from her, to go back to his <em> perfect life </em> as champion, while she was left to mend the jagged wound he opened up and left in his wake. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey had cried all her tears when he left her on that bridge. Now it was time for revenge. And in order to do that, she had to start with battling the second most annoying man she’s ever had the misfortune of meeting.   <br/><br/></p><p>“Well, well, well, if it isn’t my favourite Pokémon wrestler.”<br/><br/></p><p>
  <em> Speak of the devil. <br/><br/></em>
</p><p>“What do you want, Poe?” Rey groans, watching as the gym leader saunters into her locker room, looking just as punchable as she remembers. “Are you even allowed in here?”<br/><br/></p><p>“It’s <em> my </em> gym, I can go wherever I want,” he says through that irritating smirk that seems to be permanently etched onto his face. “Besides, I’m just popping in for a moment to remind you that you have to use <em> Pokémon </em> inside my gym—you can’t battle my team yourself.”<br/><br/></p><p>“Poe,” she sighs, running an exhausted hand down her face, “I swear, if you don’t walk right back out that door, you’re going to be <em> begging </em> for Gengar to give you another wedgie once you see what I have planned for you.”<br/><br/></p><p>“Easy,” Poe chuckles, raising his hands in mock surrender as he takes a seat on the bench opposite of her. “It was only a joke. Seems like Ben’s not the only one taking this breakup badly—so <em> touchy,” </em> he teases while wagging his finger in her face.<br/><br/></p><p>Rey swats his hand away, pretending she doesn’t hear his breakup comment. “You’ve…you’ve seen him?” she asks offhandedly, trying to project an air of nonchalance. It’s not like she really cares, anyway. <br/><br/></p><p>But Poe sees through her, his lips curling into a mischievous smile. “Yeah, Rey, I've seen him. And he’s not doing too well.” <br/><br/></p><p>Rey swallows thickly and bows her head, willing herself not to feel bad for him. <em> He did this to himself.<br/><br/></em></p><p>“And the League’s not too happy with him either,” Poe continues. “First he disappears for months without a word, and now he’s scaring poor trainers away from battling him.”<br/><br/></p><p>“What do you mean?” Rey perks up, not even attempting to hide her interest anymore.<br/><br/></p><p>“Get this,” he smirks, enthusiastically diving into a conspiratorial tone. “The last trainer who tried to challenge him quit mid-battle because Ben apparently called him—and I quote—‘a half-witted, scruffy looking Tauros herder.’”<br/><br/></p><p>Rey tries to hide the burgeoning smile that threatens to form on her face by rubbing a finger under her nose, but she doesn’t do a very good job of it. “Yeah, that sounds like Ben,” she mutters. <br/><br/></p><p>Poe’s easygoing face suddenly turns serious, placing his elbows on his knees and leaning further into her space. “He’s hurting, Rey. I’ve never seen him so…” he shuffles his empty palms in front of him, struggling to find the words, “...lost.”<br/><br/></p><p>Her eye twitches. It’s like all prior traces of her sympathy for Ben vanish into thin air. “What about me?” Rey bites through her teeth, suddenly feeling infuriated. “I’m not allowed to feel lost, too? To feel <em> hurt </em> by what he’s done?”<br/><br/></p><p>“I didn’t say you shouldn’t—”<br/><br/></p><p>“He’s the one who kept this secret from me all this time—he did this to himself,” she spits out. <br/><br/></p><p>“Rey, listen to what I’m telling you,” Poe pleads, his tone drastically calmer than Rey’s. “Ben is a moron, alright? There’s no disputing that,” he shrugs. “But you don’t know him like I do, okay? I grew up with the kid—it’s not Ben’s style to sneak around and spy on his competition. If he spent all those months travelling with you, then you have to believe it was for genuine reasons. I <em> know </em> he cares about you, I can see it clear as day.”<br/><br/></p><p>“You’re wrong. He doesn’t—he doesn’t <em> care </em> about me. If he did, he would’ve never let it get this far. All he cares about is defending his stupid title,” Rey growls, shooting up from the bench to tower over Poe. “Well, let me tell you something—all his spying on me was for nothing, because I’m still going to beat him. I’m coming for that title. And I’m starting with <em> you</em>,” she points her finger towards his chest. “Don't think for a <em> second </em> that I forgot the promise I made to you the last time I was here.”<br/><br/></p><p>Poe lets out a resigned sigh, realizing that he wasn’t going to change her mind. “You told me that you were going to use Ralts to beat me,” he nods once, peering up at her. <br/><br/></p><p>“I keep my promises,” she says pointedly, shoving past him to make her way towards the pitch, not even stopping as she throws one last comment over her shoulder. “Unlike Ben.”<br/><br/></p><p>Rey fumes as she waits inside the dim tunnel connecting the locker room to the pitch, listening to the faint chatter of the audience. <br/><br/></p><p>The absolute <em> gall </em> of Poe to try and rattle her before their fight. What was he even trying to accomplish? Did he just want her to feel guilty for the way Ben was suffering? Well, jokes on him. She couldn’t care less about how Ben was feeling right now. Not one bit. <br/><br/></p><p><em> Genuine reasons, </em> she thinks in a sneer. <em> Yeah, right. </em> There’s no possible way that Ben followed her for months around the region because he sincerely cares for her…<em>right? <br/><br/></em></p><p>There’s some movement inside the tunnel on the opposite side of the arena that catches her attention. Rey looks up, figuring it must be Poe about to walk onto the pitch and initiate their battle. <br/><br/></p><p>But when she locks eyes with the person, it suddenly feels like all the air leaves the stadium. <br/><br/></p><p>Even from this far away, Rey can still make out the outlines of his stupid massive body taking up most of the space of the tunnel entrance. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey clenches her fists so hard her knuckles turn white. She <em> hates </em> the way he makes her feel. It’s so unfair that he rouses this much emotion in her just by looking at him. It’s like all her memories suddenly rush through her mind, reminding her of how happy they were together. It takes an incredible amount of control not to sprint to the other side of the pitch and collapse into the safety of his strong arms. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey shakes her head and quickly cuts off any chance of enacting those ridiculous notions. After all, he was probably just here to spy on her some more—to watch her final battle and pick up as much more intel on her fighting style before she embarked on challenging the elite four. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey watches as Poe jogs up behind Ben and says something to him—probably telling him to get lost because the battle was about to begin. Ben nods in reaction to his words, but before he walks away, he minutely lifts his hand, offering her a small, shy wave. If she squints hard enough, it looks like he’s mouthing ‘good luck.’<br/><br/></p><p>She furiously mashes her lips together in anger and quickly schools her face into stony blankness. <em> Well, if he wants a show, then she’ll give him a show.<br/><br/></em></p><p>Rey walks onto the pitch without sparing him a second glance, letting the cheers from the crowd distract her from the split-second glimpse she caught of Ben’s face crumpling in pain. </p><p> </p><p>———</p><p> </p><p>“That’s a pretty flower, Magnemite. How’d you know that green was my favourite colour?”<br/><br/></p><p>Rey smiles at her electric Pokémon, gingerly grabbing the flower that is precariously balanced on top of his head and twirling it in her fingers.<br/><br/></p><p>“What do you think, Gardevoir?” Rey offers the flower to her Pokémon for examination, the two of them sitting side by side on a giant stone. “Should we add it to the rest?” She gestures behind her to the comically stacked pile of various coloured flowers that Magnemite had been collecting for her the entire day. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey can feel the tingling in her mind that signified that Gardevoir was pleased. She was happy to discover that their special way of communicating with each other wasn’t lost when Kirlia evolved into Gardevoir during her battle with Poe. <br/><br/></p><p>“It’s a keeper,” Rey declares, adding it to the pile.<br/><br/></p><p><em> “Magnemite,” </em> her Pokémon happily replies, closing his one eyelid halfway down in an imitation of a smile before zooming off in search of more flowers. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey sighs, watching Gardevoir telekinetically sort through the flowers beside her. Her extraordinary Pokémon definitely played a crucial part in allowing her to keep her promise to Poe. He didn’t stand a chance against the deadly combination of Gloom and Kirlia, the two of them responsible for taking down Poe’s entire team. <br/><br/></p><p>And in an incredible feat of serendipity—Kirlia evolved into Gardevoir mid-battle, just like Ralts evolved into Kirlia the last time they were in Hammerlocke. <br/><br/></p><p>It was almost like it was meant to be. Everything was seemingly falling into place. <br/><br/></p><p>So why did she feel so empty inside?<br/><br/></p><p>Rey flicks her eyes over to Gloom, where her little Pokémon sits a couple feet away, poking a sharpened twig into the Poliwhirl poké doll Ben had bought him—obviously still harbouring some bitter feelings about his betrayal.<br/><br/></p><p>As easy as it was to defeat Poe, she wasn’t going to let that win get to her head and make her cocky. Rey had decided that a trip to the wild area was sorely needed before she foolishly ran off to challenge the elite four and got her ass handed to her. <br/><br/></p><p>Instead, she wanted some time to train her Pokémon, to really make sure that they were strong enough and ready to embark on a task as daunting as facing off against the elite four. The last thing she wanted was to embarrass herself by not even making it past the first member.<br/><br/></p><p>If she was going to swing, she definitely wasn’t going to miss. <br/><br/></p><p>So, for the past week, Rey has been camping out in the wild area, fighting Pokémon and training her own team to be the best that they can possibly be.<br/><br/></p><p>And she was already seeing results with Combusken, having evolved into Blaziken on their second day out here. She was as strong as Rey had hoped she would be, towering over her and every other one of her Pokémon—minus Mudsdale. <br/><br/></p><p>Speaking of Mudsdale, Rey almost jumps out of her skin when she suddenly gallops past her, running like the wind with her heavy hooves shaking the ground beneath them. Somehow, Gengar had found his way on top of her back, the two of them looking like they were having a blast as Mudsdale frolics through a grassy field in the distance. <br/><br/></p><p>They almost run into Blaziken, where she had crafted a bed of grass for the egg to be cradled in, hovering protectively over it like she was its own personal bodyguard. A curious Psyduck waddles up to the egg to try and sniff it, but Blaziken charges at the Pokémon before it even gets close, punting it across a nearby pond with her powerful legs.<br/><br/></p><p>They had all been training nonstop lately, so Rey decided to give her team a much deserved break today, letting them lounge around the rocky outcrop section of the wild area aptly named <em>the</em> <em>stony wilderness.<br/><br/></em></p><p>She smiles at the sight of her Pokémon looking so carefree and enjoying a day in the sun. But Rey is finding it difficult to hold up her smile for more than a few seconds, letting it slowly recede off her face.<br/><br/></p><p>
  <em> This was her home, once. <br/><br/></em>
</p><p>It still feels like it is—to an extent. Rey loves her Pokémon more than words could ever describe, but she can’t help the tiny voice at the back of her mind telling her that something is missing.<br/><br/></p><p>Or rather, <em> someone. <br/><br/></em></p><p>There’s no way that Poe was right in saying that Ben followed her because he cares about her. However, Rey will grudgingly admit that maybe <em> spying </em> on competition wasn’t really Ben’s style—but it’s still a more plausible explanation than the fact that he…that he...She can’t even <em> think </em> the words, it’s <em> that </em> implausible. <br/><br/></p><p>She picks up a white flower from the pile, stroking the soft petals. Rey knew that Magnemite was only bringing her flowers because he sensed her sullen mood. Really, it was like all of her Pokémon could tell that something was off with her, but they were helpless to figure out what they could do to lift her spirits.<br/><br/></p><p>Rey can’t even find it in herself to be angry at him anymore. She’s just sad—sad that she came so close to finding her family and it just slipped through her fingers. <br/><br/></p><p>It pains her to admit, but Rey <em> misses </em> Ben. She misses his snarky wit and his sarcastic laughter. She misses the way his stupid massive arms would wrap around her body and make her feel utterly safe when he would hug her. She misses that heartbreakingly beautiful dimpled smile that she could sometimes coax out of him if she was lucky. <br/><br/></p><p>She misses her home. <br/><br/></p><p>Ever since that day on the bridge, it felt like Ben had left a hole in her life. A missing spot. And Rey fears that nothing or no one could ever replace it—that she will just be doomed to live the rest of her life as half a person. <br/><br/></p><p>Deep down inside, Rey worries that her quest to become champion by defeating the elite four and Ben would all be in vain—because even those great accomplishments wouldn’t be able to fill the tremendous void Ben left in her life. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey suddenly feels completely lost, questioning every single one of her choices that have brought her to this point. <br/><br/></p><p>Sensing her mood drastically shift, Gardevoir places a comforting hand on top of Rey’s shoulder. <br/><br/></p><p>“I’m okay, I promise,” Rey assures her Pokémon, offering her a hollow smile. But Gardevoir just fixes her with a knowing look. After all, she can <em> feel </em> everything Rey is feeling. <br/><br/></p><p>“I know, I know,” she sighs, dropping her hands into her lap. “I just…I feel so lost. So unsure,” she helplessly shakes her head at her Pokémon. “I don’t know what to do.”<br/><br/></p><p>Gardevoir regards her with a contemplative expression for a moment, peering deeply into Rey’s eyes in thought. Then suddenly, she places her graceful green hands over top of Rey’s, and something extraordinary happens.<br/><br/></p><p>The rocky outcrop disappears before her eyes, replaced with a hazy scene bursting with lush greenery that takes over her every sense. She can smell the clusters of giant pine trees surrounding her, and can feel the thin blades of grass and plants tickling her toes. <br/><br/></p><p>She jumps back as Growlithe runs past her feet, barking in glee and trying to keep up with Gengar as they both chase after…<em>a Vileplume? <br/><br/></em></p><p>It feels like she’s wading through water as she looks to her left, spotting a wooden cabin, where Pidgeot sits perched on the roof, watching intently as Hatterene meticulously digs holes into a garden, Blaziken following close behind her as she scatters seeds into the trenches, standing back to let Swampert sprinkle water over the dirt.<br/><br/></p><p><em> What is this? </em> She was just in the wild area a moment ago, and now it feels like she’s been transported to a totally different world, with all her Pokémon around her—including Ben’s. <em> But where was he? <br/><br/></em></p><p>As if drawn to her call, her heart leaps as Ben walks outside of the cabin door—looking a little bit more like the old man she always teased him for acting like, instead of the younger Ben she was used to—giving her a smile so sweet and tender, that Rey swears the sight is able to soothe her aching soul. <br/><br/></p><p>
  <em> She’s home. <br/><br/></em>
</p><p>This is her home. Nothing has ever felt more right than this—whatever <em>this</em> is. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey’s eyes are drawn to something unfamiliar shifting around in Ben’s arms. When she looks down to the movement, she’s shocked to find a tiny Cubone nestled in his embrace.<br/><br/></p><p>The scene turns even more blurry and unstable as Ben settles the Cubone on the ground and gently shuffles him over to Rey, the little Pokémon wobbling on unsteady legs towards her. It’s like her body moves of its own accord, crouching down and awaiting the Pokémon’s touch. But the moment the Cubone comes into contact with Rey, the scene abruptly dissolves before her, sending her tumbling back into the present.<br/><br/></p><p>Rey stares glassy-eyed at the muted grey of the rocks around her, so dull in comparison to the scene she was just subjected to. The white flower slips through her fingers, fluttering delicately to the ground. She sits frozen, her mouth hanging agape as her bottom lip trembles in shock. <br/><br/></p><p>A single tear trickles down her cheek. <br/><br/></p><p>She somehow manages to turn her stunned body towards Gardevoir. “What was that?” she gasps in question. “Was that my—my <em> future?” </em>  <br/><br/></p><p>If Rey concentrates hard enough, she's able to recall the fact that Gardevoir are said to have the ability to see into the future. But that couldn’t possibly be what just happened. There’s no way. <br/><br/></p><p>Gardevoir slowly retracts her hands from Rey, giving her a kind, patient smile. <br/><br/></p><p>“You’re wrong, it must be wrong,” she says incredulously. This is too much for her brain to handle. Gardevoir must be confused, there’s no possible way that Rey’s future contained living in a cozy secluded cabin with Ben and all of their Pokémon. “It can’t be right,” Rey continues to deny, grasping for anything that will prove Gardevoir wrong. “None of us even have a Cubone!”<br/><br/></p><p>A sharp cracking sound splits the air, causing Rey to whip her head towards the pond, where Blaziken has started to run frantic circles around the grass bed she made for the egg—which has rapidly started to hatch.<br/><br/></p><p>Rey shoots off the stone and sprints towards the egg, her shock of seeing her potential future completely forgotten in favour of this momentous occasion. When she reaches the egg, Rey falls down on her knees and lifts her trembling hands to hover cautiously over the peeling pieces of the shell, not sure what she can do to help. <br/><br/></p><p>She can feel rather than see all of her Pokémon huddled around her, as she’s only got eyes for the egg. But the excitement and anticipation is almost palpable around her.<br/><br/></p><p>A tiny hand pokes through the shell, making everyone gasp. Soon enough, more of the shell crackles away as the Pokémon inside tries to climb its way out. When it finally does, Rey feels two more tears slide down her cheek.<br/><br/></p><p>It’s a Cubone—just like her vision. <br/><br/></p><p>“Gloom,” Gloom cheerily greets their new friend, lightly bopping him on the head. <br/><br/></p><p>In no time at all, every single one of her Pokémon start to touch the baby Cubone, welcoming him to the family with gentle pats and warm words.<br/><br/></p><p>But Rey lets them all fade to background noise as she falls back on her heels in astonished silence, feeling like she was on the verge of an epiphany.<br/><br/></p><p><em> What the hell was she doing out here? </em> If that vision is truly what was in store for Rey’s future…<br/><br/></p><p>Then that means…<br/><br/></p><p>
  <em>Fuck. <br/><br/></em>
</p><p><em> Ben loves her! </em>  <br/><br/></p><p>Rey jumps to her feet and begins to pace back and forth, barely registering the concerned looks from her Pokémon.<br/><br/></p><p>Maybe Ben did follow her around the region because he genuinely enjoyed spending time with her, because he loved getting to know her. That was the only reason Rey let him follow her around too, isn’t it? She said it herself all those months ago when she admitted that she was growing very fond of Ben. Is it so far-fetched to believe that he was feeling the same towards her?<br/><br/></p><p>Rey smacks a hand over her forehead. How could she have been so oblivious? Maybe he really did only break his promise and leave her because he couldn’t stand to hurt Gloom anymore. It <em> pained </em> her to her very core to hurt Growlithe. He must’ve been experiencing the same dilemma she was having. <br/><br/></p><p>Sure, she was still a little sour that he kept such a big secret from her, but now that she thinks about it—Ben must have kept that secret because he feared a potential volatile reaction from her when she found out—which she only proved spectacularly with the way she challenged him to a battle right then and there.<br/><br/></p><p>What was she doing? Here she was sulking around the wild area, questioning why she was feeling so lost, when the answer was staring her right in the face the entire time.  <br/><br/></p><p>Over the past few months, she realized her childish hope of becoming champion wasn’t something she dreamed about anymore. Her dreams had shifted. And they all centered around building her life with Ben. <br/><br/></p><p>Maybe the reason she was feeling so empty inside was because…because…<br/><br/></p><p>“Oh, fuck,” Rey moans. “I’m in love with Ben!” <br/><br/></p><p>She turns her wide-eyed expression onto her Pokémon, who are all staring back at her with identical worried looks. Even the baby Cubone blinks dazedly at her. Rey lets out a relieved chuckle, not knowing what else to do.<br/><br/></p><p>She runs over and scoops Gloom up into her arms. “I’m in love with Ben, Gloom!” She laughs, spinning her confused Pokémon around before popping him back down on solid ground.<br/><br/></p><p>“I’m in love!” she shouts to the trees, causing a flock of Taillows to fall off their branches.<br/><br/></p><p>Rey can’t believe she really almost let something as inconsequential as Ben’s secret stand in the way from starting a life with him. She’s <em> in love </em> with him for fuck’s sake. <br/><br/></p><p>She needed to tell him—she needed to find a way that they could both mend their broken hearts and be with each other, once and for all.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>She’s in love!!!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Listen, Big Spheal</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“I need to speak with the champion!” <br/><br/></p><p>The man behind the registration counter of Wyndon stadium lazily flicks his eyes from his magazine up to Rey. “Sorry, lady, you’re not allowed back there,” he drawls, almost bored—like he was used to seeing frenzied trainers sprint into the stadium and slam their hands down on his desk. <br/><br/></p><p>After her epiphany, Rey had made a mad dash to the nearest train station, buying the earliest ticket available that would take her to the great, sprawling city of Wyndon—home of the elite four. <br/><br/></p><p>“But I need to tell him something really important!”<em> Can’t this guy hear the urgency in her voice? </em>  <br/><br/></p><p>Apparently not, because he slowly licks his thumb and turns the magazine page at a Torkoal’s pace, fixing her with a highly disinterested expression. “Only trainers who defeat the elite four are permitted to see the champion,” he yawns, not even attempting to cover his mouth behind a hand. <br/><br/></p><p><em>Crap. </em>She needs to speak with Ben <em>right</em> <em>now. </em>This sort of thing is just too important to sit on. Is she really about to challenge the elite four just because it’s the quickest way she could have a conversation with Ben? <br/><br/></p><p>“Would you...like to challenge the elite four?” the man asks hesitantly, confused as to why Rey is still just standing in front of him, lost in her thoughts. <br/><br/></p><p>“Sure…?” Rey squeaks. It felt like her mouth opened up and pushed the word out before her brain even <em> thought </em> about refusing. <br/><br/></p><p><em> Okay, she’s really doing this. </em> She’s really about to face off against the elite four. <br/><br/></p><p>“Alright, I’ll need proof of your badges and your league card,” he explains in a monotone voice. “Oh, and you can only take six Pokémon in with you.” He points to the baby Cubone swaddled in her arms. “So that guy has to stay here. We offer a poké daycare service in the stadium though, hourly rates start at—”<br/><br/></p><p>“Okay, okay, sure,” Rey cuts in, feeling like she’s already wasted enough time. She wasn’t in the mood to be subjected to a tedious hour long speech about their daycare services. She wrestles her badges and league card out of her pocket, and throws them on the desk, then carefully hands over Cubone to the man so he could bring him to the daycare, tapping her foot impatiently as she waits for him to come back.<br/><br/></p><p>“Okay, everything seems to be in order,” the man says, sounding <em> slightly </em> happier now that Rey wasn’t going to be in his hair any longer. “Whenever you’re ready, go through that door right over there. Good luck,” he adds apathetically, like he couldn’t give less of a crap. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey can’t believe she’s about to fight the elite four. A day ago, she would’ve been ecstatic at the prospect, fuelled by her rage to absolutely demolish her competition. But now that she’s made peace with her anger, she finds that the notion is more daunting than exciting.<br/><br/></p><p>It’s a good thing that the elite four battles weren’t played out in front of a live audience. If Rey totally bombed, then at least nobody would be around to see it. <br/><br/></p><p>But her worries of falling on her face were quickly quelled, as Rey was able to defeat the first three members of the elite four with minimal problems. The electric specialist, Ahsoka, proved to be no match against Mudsdale’s ground type advantage. <br/><br/></p><p>And psychic specialist Yoda, a funny little man who spoke only in riddles, couldn’t find the solution to the riddle that was Gengar, who, upon delivering a final blow to Yoda’s Xatu, pulled down his bottom eyelid and stuck out his tongue, gloating over his win. However, the look was so bizarre, it only served in making the withered old man bark out a laugh and usher her to the next room. <br/><br/></p><p>Even the self-proclaimed flying Pokémon master, Luke Skywalker—who looked more like a grumpy Dwebble wrapped in layers of robes than a flying type specialist—crumbled against Magnemite’s electric attacks. She even got to finally meet the Altaria that traumatized Ben all those years ago and gave him his fear of heights. She wished so badly that Ben could’ve seen the way Magnemite took her down with one of the most powerful thunderbolt attacks Rey’s ever seen—resulting in him evolving into Magneton. <br/><br/></p><p>But she can’t let herself get too lost in the euphoric feeling of beating the first three elite four members. There was still one left. And she would surely be the toughest of them all. <br/><br/></p><p>“I was wondering when you’d show up,” the raspy voice of Leia Organa echoes throughout the silent chamber. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey hesitates as she emerges into the battle room, haltingly stepping up to her position on the pitch. “You knew I was coming?” <br/><br/></p><p>It’s unbelievable that Rey finds herself opposite her idol right now, just seconds away from battling her. Never in her wildest dreams did she think this would ever happen. She sticks her hand in her pocket and squeezes the pair of dice Ben gave her all those weeks ago—too precious a gift for her to have thrown away. <br/><br/></p><p>Leia’s eyes zone in on her pocket, her lips puckering into a smile, like she could tell what Rey’s hand was currently wrapped around. “Ben has told me quite a lot about you, Rey.” <br/><br/></p><p>“All good things I hope?”She didn’t know where all this confidence was coming from to talk to Leia Organa like that.<br/><br/></p><p>But her tone only achieves in making Leia chuckle. “Are you kidding? I couldn’t get that boy to shut up once he started talking about you. One would’ve thought you hung the moon with the way he sang your praises—all with Luvdiscs in his eyes.”<br/><br/></p><p>Rey squeezes the dice even harder, willing herself not to cry in front of Leia. <br/><br/></p><p>“The boy can be a real idiot sometimes, I’ll give you that,” she says dryly—sounding like a perfect mirrored version of Ben’s wry tone. “He gets that trait from his father, mind you,” she adds underhandedly, causing a surprised snort to escape from Rey’s nose. “But there’s no denying that he’s in love with you, dear.” Leia fixes her with a surprisingly gentle expression. “I think you know that.” <br/><br/></p><p>“I do—I know he is. I believe him now. That’s why I came here, I need to tell him—”<br/><br/></p><p>Leia waves a dismissive hand in front of her, cutting off Rey’s rambling. “There’ll be plenty of time for talking later. And I’m sure Ben will be happy to see you. But for now,” she pulls a poké ball out from the inside of her jacket and activates it, “I’d like to see if Ben was right when he said you were one of the strongest trainers he’s ever known.”<br/><br/></p><p><em> Oh. </em> Her heart skips a beat at the thought of Ben praising her like that. <br/><br/></p><p>Leia throws her poké ball into action, releasing her Klinklang—the gear Pokémon that Rey had made fun of with Ben back when they were climbing the cliffside to get to Stow-on-Side. Rey smiles at the memory, twisting her ball cap around—the very same one Leia gave her all those years ago—before she throws Mudsdale into battle. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey takes a deep breath, centering herself for the most important battle of her life. <em> I’ll see you soon, Ben. <br/><br/></em></p><p>“Gear grind,” Leia hurriedly commands in an assertive tone before Rey even gets the chance to open her mouth. Klinklang fires sharp gears at Mudsdale, cutting into her flanks. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey’s top lip curls over her teeth, hating to see her Pokémon in any kind of pain. She was right to be worried about battling Leia—she definitely doesn’t waste any time. But no matter, Mudsdale has the ground type advantage. <br/><br/></p><p>“High horsepower,” Rey shouts.<br/><br/></p><p>Mudsdale charges toward the Klinklang, knocking into the steel Pokémon with her entire body and sending it flying to the other side of the battle room.<br/><br/></p><p>Leia just barely manages to jump out of the way of her Pokémon’s careening path in time. She was a lot more agile than Rey would’ve expected from such a small, unassuming person like her. They both watch as Klinklang slams against the wall with a harsh crunch and slides down to the floor in a twisted pile of metal.<br/><br/></p><p>Leia slowly turns her head from her fainted Pokémon to Rey—her slightly parted lips are the only variation in her otherwise stoic demeanour as she returns Klinklang to its poké ball, all while maintaining eye contact with her.<br/><br/></p><p>“It seems I may have underestimated you, Rey,” she says, the faintest of smiles twinkling in her eyes. “Maybe Ben was right about you. Let's see how you fare against something a little more challenging, shall we?”<br/><br/></p><p>Leia sends out her Scizor, a highly intimidating half-bug, half-steel Pokémon. The buzzing sound of its wings while it floats above the ground is so piercing, it feels like it’s vibrating inside her brain. <br/><br/></p><p>She shakes her head clear, returning Mudsdale to her poké ball with generous whispered praise before sending Blaziken out to battle. A fire type Pokémon would have double type effectiveness against a steel and bug type. <br/><br/></p><p>“Come on, Blaziken, fire punch!” <br/><br/></p><p>Blaziken is all too eager to please, running towards Scizor with those powerful legs of hers and winding her fiery fist back in anticipation—but misses her target when Scizor zips away from her at the last moment.<br/><br/></p><p>Rey takes her eyes off the battle for one quick second to glance at Leia, where she finds a smirk slowly developing on the woman’s face. <br/><br/></p><p>She grinds her teeth together, her thoughts whirring through any possible solution to the way Scizor continuously flies out of the way of every punch Blaziken throws.<br/><br/></p><p>“Bullet punch,” Leia suddenly rasps.<br/><br/></p><p>Scizor is on Blaziken in the blink of an eye, punching her Pokémon so fast, the motion blends into one furious red blur.<br/><br/></p><p>Blaziken is knocked backwards—but recovers instantly into a nimble backflip, landing in a low crouch, her powerful legs anchoring her to the ground as she slides across the floor. <br/><br/></p><p>“That’s right, hang in there,” Rey pleads, trying to mask the worry bleeding into her tone. <br/><br/></p><p>But she’s given no reprieve from Leia who continues her onslaught. “Double team!”<br/><br/></p><p>Rey starts to get dizzy with the way Scizor begins to move rapidly in circles around Blaziken, making illusory copies of itself to confuse her Pokémon.<br/><br/></p><p><em> Think, Rey, think. </em> What attack could she possibly use to stop this? Her mind inexplicably goes straight to Ben—specifically the way he teased her for shouting all sorts of fire attacks back when she convinced Combusken to fight for her in Circhester. <br/><br/></p><p>“Fire spin!” she suddenly blurts.<br/><br/></p><p>Blaziken straightens up at her voice, snapping out of her dizziness and shooting an unrelenting stream of fire at every single one of the Scizor clones. The sight of the spiraling funnel of fire blazing through the entire room is so bright and wondrous, Rey has to bring a hand up to cover her eyes from the brilliance of it. <br/><br/></p><p>When she lowers it, she discovers both Scizor and Blaziken have collapsed onto the ground, fainted from their efforts.<br/><br/></p><p>“She really knows how to light up a room, hm?” Leia chuckles, shaking her head and returning her Pokémon. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey can’t help but let out a relieved laugh, letting some of the tension out of her body. <em> That’s definitely one way to describe her fiery Pokémon. <br/><br/></em></p><p>But there’s no time to relax just yet, because Leia sends out her Metagross next, just as Rey sends out her Gardevoir.<br/><br/></p><p>“Psy—”<br/><br/></p><p>“Metal claw,” Leia’s unwavering voice beats her to the punch.<br/><br/></p><p>Metagross pounces on Gardevoir, swiping her frail body with its two, steely blue, claw-extended arms. <br/><br/></p><p>“No, Gardevoir!” Rey cries, but it doesn’t matter. Her poor Pokémon is slammed to the ground from the attack. She valiantly attempts to stand back up and fight for Rey—but weakly collapses in defeat.<br/><br/></p><p>“Don’t get distracted now, dear,” the corner of Leia’s mouth twitches upwards. <br/><br/></p><p>How could Rey be so foolish? She knew fairy types were weak against steel types. Why did she make the idiotic move to send out Gardevoir against this steel powerhouse? <br/><br/></p><p>The Pokémon in question floats smugly in front of Leia, sharpening its claws together, trying to intimidate Rey. <br/><br/></p><p>But she’s not going to let a clunky pile of metal threaten her. Metagross has another thing coming if it thinks it can scare Rey. It may be a half-steel Pokémon, but it’s also half-psychic. And psychic Pokémon are weak against—<br/><br/></p><p>“Give ’em hell, Gengar!” Rey roars, flinging her Pokémon into action.<br/><br/></p><p>Gengar materializes before her, mischief shining in his eyes as he observes the situation he was suddenly thrust into. Rey has to bite back a snort at the leisurely pace he strolls around the pitch, taking in every little detail of the battle room. <br/><br/></p><p>If Leia is confused by her Pokémon’s behaviour, she shows no sign. “Meteor mash,” she hastily instructs.<br/><br/></p><p>Metagross flies across the pitch and draws its arm back, fully preparing to smash through Gengar with a powerful punch fired with the force of a meteor. But Gengar just stands in one spot and blinks curiously at the rampaging Pokémon, not worried in the slightest that he was about to be punched into the stratosphere. He looks more like he’s regarding an interesting article in a newspaper than he does awaiting an impending attack. But there’s a reason for his inaction, because as soon as Metagross comes an inch away from touching him, Gengar teleports to the other side of the room.<br/><br/></p><p>Rey can’t help the smirk that curls onto her face in reaction to her clever Pokémon’s quick thinking.  <br/><br/></p><p>Gengar continues to taunt Metagross for quite some time, teleporting to safety each time Leia’s Pokémon charges at him. Sometimes he pretends to yawn before he does so, and other times he performs a little dance—but he always manages to sneak away before receiving any damage.<br/><br/></p><p>The battle finally comes to a head when Gengar teleports on top of Metagross, vaulting straight up off the Pokémon’s back like he was bouncing on a diving board and firing a shadow ball attack directly under him, taking Metagross down without even needing Rey’s instruction to do so. <br/><br/></p><p>“That was incredible, Gengar,” she marvels. “I’ve never seen your shadow ball work that well!”<br/><br/></p><p>“Gengar,” he growls proudly, blowing on his knuckles and rubbing them against his chest.<br/><br/></p><p>Rey giggles at her Pokémon’s antics and returns him to his poké ball, turning her newly confident gaze on Leia as she waits to see what Pokémon she sends out next.<br/><br/></p><p>There were only two more Pokémon on Leia’s team. Only two obstacles standing in her way of reaching Ben. Her heart flutters at the thought. <br/><br/></p><p>“I love a Pokémon who knows how to have a good time,” Leia smirks, bringing Rey back into the present. “But I wonder who’ll get the last laugh once you see what else I’ve got in store for you.”<br/><br/></p><p><em> Bring it, </em> Rey thinks eagerly.<br/><br/></p><p>The two women each throw their next Pokémon onto the pitch. Rey releasing Magneton and Leia releasing Skarmory—the steel bird Pokémon. <br/><br/></p><p>Both of them soar high above the pitch, already itching to begin their battle. Skarmory fills the air with the grating sound of its flapping metal wings, and Magneton’s entire body ripples with static charges.<br/><br/></p><p>“Drill peck!”<br/><br/></p><p>“Thunder wave!”<br/><br/></p><p>They both command at once, voices overlapping and fighting for dominance, each hoping their respective Pokémon could hear them over the desperate sounds of their cries.<br/><br/></p><p>But in the end, Skarmory is no match for Magneton’s quick and brutal attack. The thunder wave connects with the helpless Pokémon’s body, shocking it before Skarmory even gets a chance to deliver its drill peck, falling through the air and thumping to the ground in a deafening <em> thud.<br/><br/></em></p><p>“Alright, Magneton, that’s what I like to see!” Rey praises, returning him to his poké ball while he flies down towards her and wiggles his magnets in unabashed joy. <br/><br/></p><p>Her heart is beating madly in her chest now—victory is so close she can almost taste it. <br/><br/></p><p>
  <em> Hold on, Ben. I’m almost there. <br/><br/></em>
</p><p>“I have to admit,” Leia begins to speak calmly, returning the sad form of Skarmory back to its poké ball, “I’m impressed at your display of tenacity, Rey. But you must know I’m not about to let you win <em> that </em> easily.” She removes her final poké ball from her jacket. “I hope you saved your best for last,” she says with a hint of a smile, throwing her poké ball and sending out the humongous form of her Aggron, shaking the ground as it stomps onto the pitch, “I know I have.”<br/><br/></p><p>Rey slowly unclips a poké ball from her belt, clicking it to life, and bringing her trembling hand up to her mouth. “Please,” she whispers to the Pokémon within. “Gloom, I choose you!” <br/><br/></p><p>Gloom bursts out of his poké ball, staring down the frightening steel Pokémon that towers over him, projecting so much confidence into his little body, one would think that the two Pokémon stood at the same height. He’s sure come a long way since that timid Pokémon who wouldn’t leave his poké ball during their first gym battle together.<br/><br/></p><p>“The Gloom I’ve heard so much about,” Leia chuckles good-naturedly, inclining her head towards him. “Your reputation precedes you.” <br/><br/></p><p>“Gloom,” he huffs, not taking his eyes off Aggron.<br/><br/></p><p>Rey takes a deep breath and dives into her final battle. <br/><br/></p><p>“You can do it, Gloom, bullet seed!”<br/><br/></p><p>Gloom obeys instantly, seeds erupting out of his head at such an alarming pace, Rey wouldn’t be surprised if they left dents in Aggron’s metallic exterior. After all, Aggron is a half-rock type—and rock is weak against grass types. <br/><br/></p><p>“Harden,” Leia shouts, projecting her voice over the pinging of Gloom’s seeds still hitting her Pokémon.<br/><br/></p><p><em>Shit. </em> It’s going to be next to impossible to land an effective physical attack on Aggron now that its defense is strengthened. It looks like Rey needs to take a page out of Ben’s book, and use the helpful advice he gave her back when she challenged her second gym. <em> Special attacks over physical attacks. <br/><br/></em></p><p>“Hit ’em with a giga drain, Gloom!” <br/><br/></p><p>“Aggron, iron head!” <br/><br/></p><p><em> Oh, no. </em> Gloom stands his ground and lands the special attack on Aggron, but he’s not fast enough to dart out of the way of the Pokémon’s steel-hard head, causing Gloom to fly across the pitch and roll to a skidding stop just a few feet from Rey. <br/><br/></p><p>“Hang in there, buddy,” she cries, her voice close to tears. It’s agony to see her Pokémon in such pain. But thankfully, because of Gloom’s accuracy in landing his giga drain attack, he manages to absorb some of Aggron’s nutrients and restore his strength, getting back on his feet in an impressive display of perseverance.<br/><br/></p><p>“Finish him, Aggron, heavy slam,” Leia calls out. Rey can practically <em> hear </em> the triumph in her voice. But she’s not going to give up that easily.<br/><br/></p><p>“Agility!” she commands, just in time for Gloom to jump out of the way of Aggron’s attack. “Again, Gloom! Let’s tire this chunk of scrap metal out!”<br/><br/></p><p>Rey grinds her teeth and clenches her fists, sweat beginning to bead on her face. Her whole body is tensed and crouched in rapt attention as she watches the two Pokémon dance around each other. Every time Aggron tries to slam into Gloom, her little Pokémon darts out of the way in an incredible burst of speed. <br/><br/></p><p>“Come on,” Rey grits through her teeth, voice pitched low.<br/><br/></p><p>They’ve been going for long enough now that Rey can finally spot Aggron growing tired and sloppy with its attacks, its huge lumbering body getting drowsy from its efforts. <br/><br/></p><p>After one particularly risky attempt to slam into Gloom, the Pokémon wobbles on its feet for a perilously long second—long enough for Rey to shout a final command.<br/><br/></p><p>“Now, Gloom, bullet seed!” <br/><br/></p><p>And of course, her loyal little Pokémon is all too eager to obey, shooting an unrelenting barrage of seeds directly into the chest of the tipsy Aggron—who wobbles once...twice...three times before it falls over onto its back with a final, booming crash. <br/><br/></p><p>When the dust settles, Gloom is the only Pokemon left standing, breathing heavily from his tremendous effort.<br/><br/></p><p>
  <em> She did it. <br/><br/></em>
</p><p>She had beaten the elite four.<br/><br/></p><p>It feels like her body moves on autopilot as she takes a few stuttering steps before collapsing onto her knees, not even noticing the pain that shoots up her legs.<br/><br/></p><p>
  <em> She won.<br/><br/></em>
</p><p>“Gloom,” Gloom cheers. She didn’t even see her Pokémon running up to her, but that doesn’t stop her from wrapping her arms around him in the biggest hug she can muster. <br/><br/></p><p>“You did it, Gloom,” she pulls back and gives him a watery smile. “We did it—we won. I’m so proud of you,” Rey whispers fiercely against his head. <br/><br/></p><p>If only her younger self could see her now. It doesn’t even matter that she isn’t planning on challenging Ben for his championship title. This is enough for her. She may not become champion, but at least she has finally achieved her dreams of becoming a Pokémon master. <br/><br/></p><p>And now she gets to share that news with Ben.<br/><br/></p><p>“Well done, Rey,” Leia suddenly appears before her, clapping a hand on her shoulder and grinning from ear to ear. “That was a magnificent match. You and your team should be very proud of yourselves.” <br/><br/></p><p>“Thank you,” Rey says breathlessly. The feeling of receiving such praise from her idol in this moment is unparalleled. <br/><br/></p><p>“I suppose Ben was right about you,” she winks. “You quite literally are the strongest trainer we’ve ever encountered.”<br/><br/></p><p>Rey barely registers the odd choice of words from Leia, too excited by the prospect of finally getting to speak to Ben. She peers around Leia’s head at the door leading to the champion’s battle chamber. “Can I see him now? I’ve defeated the elite four. That means I’m qualified to challenge the champion now, right?” <br/><br/></p><p>The strange expression that crosses Leia’s features instantly causes Rey’s excitement to be replaced by pure dread. <br/><br/></p><p>“Rey,” she begins carefully, picking up one of Rey’s hands and placing it in between both of hers in a comforting gesture. “Ben quit this morning,” she says gently. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey’s heart drops into her stomach.<br/><br/></p><p>It feels like her whole body goes numb in reaction to hearing those words. She can barely hear the rest of Leia’s sentence over the ringing in her ears. “He said that there were more important things in life than being the champion.” <br/><br/></p><p>“But—but that means—”<br/><br/></p><p>“Congratulations, Rey. You’re the new Pokémon League Champion.” </p><p>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>get yourself a significant other that will challenge the elite four just to have a conversation with you</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Hope is Like the Sunflora</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>If anyone would like a visual of where this opening scene is set, here you go!! <a href="https://images.app.goo.gl/f9ZSoau2GxAPjyc58">The Slumbering Weald</a></p><p>And I decided to put the epilogue at the end of this chapter instead of adding a new one so that’s why this chapter is longer than usual! :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>If this is what <em> eternal happiness </em> feels like, then Ben would like to have a few words with that absolute fraud, Ho-Oh. <br/><br/></p><p>Specifically, how he could go about getting a refund. <br/><br/></p><p>Because there’s nothing <em> happy </em> about the desolate prospect of living the rest of his life with only half of his heart. <br/><br/></p><p>Although, he supposes eternal happiness could be one way to describe the precious time he got to spend with Rey—no matter how short-lived the experience turned out to be.<br/><br/></p><p>Ben could best equate the phenomenon that was Rey entering his life to a meteor—blazing across the night sky and illuminating him in the most brilliant light. <br/><br/></p><p>But now that meteor had passed, shrouding him once more in the darkness he was so used to living in before Rey had shot through his life.<br/><br/></p><p>And now he fears that his eyes will never adjust back to the darkness.<br/><br/></p><p>He would never forget the fond memories they shared together. But that doesn’t mean it wouldn’t pain him every time he thought about her—every time he thinks about what could’ve been, if he just had the strength to tell her before things had gotten too far.<br/><br/></p><p>Ben sighs, petting Growlithe’s head and letting his eyes roam over the twinkling sunlight reflecting off the ravine he’s currently sitting alongside of. <br/><br/></p><p>After quitting his position as champion, Ben had felt that he was in dire need to reconnect with his roots, to really reflect on what to do with his life now that he was free from his stressful obligations. And there was only one place that was suitable for the task. <br/><br/></p><p>Nestled behind his childhood home in the village of Postwick stood the atmospheric forest called <em> The Slumbering Weald. </em> When he was younger, Ben had spent an unfathomable amount of hours exploring the vast, mysterious depths of the foggy woodland. It was one of the only places he could escape to when his home life got too much to handle. <br/><br/></p><p>So it’s no wonder that this comforting forest is where Ben finds himself now. <br/><br/></p><p>Hidden within the deepest part of the forest is a beautiful clearing that houses a grand, crumbling stone altar—a resting ground for two legendary Pokémon long extinct from this world.<br/><br/></p><p>Although, after Ben’s experience with legendary and extinct Pokémon, he wouldn’t be surprised if the two Pokémon burst out of the altar and demanded to know why Ben was disturbing their slumber.<br/><br/></p><p>That would be just his luck. It’s not like his life isn’t already in shambles. Having two legendary Pokémon angry at him for innocently sulking on their graves would be the cherry on top of this horrible month he’s having. <br/><br/></p><p>But thankfully, he hasn’t felt any rumblings beneath him as he sits atop the vine-covered, ancient stone dais, letting his feet dangle above the circular pond that the ravine opened up into. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben squints at the feeble light filtering in through the trees as he thinks about his last few days in the city. He had <em> tried </em> picking up where he left off by continuing to battle the annoying trainers who wanted to challenge him, but he just couldn’t do it anymore. <br/><br/></p><p>Gone were the days where Ben would relish in the euphoric feeling of destroying any competitors that attempted to steal his title. Now, they had all just gotten on his last nerve, causing him to have horrible outbursts whenever they did something stupid, like fumble with their poké balls or take up too much time trying to use a super potion mid-battle. <br/><br/></p><p>Stepping down from his position as champion was the easiest decision Ben ever had to make.<br/><br/></p><p>There was absolutely no way he could stand to battle Rey for a second time. The first was traumatizing enough. He didn’t want to put either one of them in that agonizing position ever again. <br/><br/></p><p>And maybe his decision to step down would only serve to benefit her. For all he knows, Rey could be battling his mother right now—she could be <em> winning </em> the battle against his mother. And she’ll finally be able to achieve her dreams of becoming champion. Ben hopes that Rey won’t hold it against him for cheating her out of fighting one last battle with him. <br/><br/></p><p>He wonders what she’s doing right now. If she’s happy and celebrating her win, or if she’s feeling just as lonely as he is. Ben sort of hopes it’s the former.<br/><br/></p><p>He only ever wanted her to be happy. <br/><br/></p><p>Even if Rey never forgives him—which is completely understandable—he will always cherish the memories of her happiness. Like the endearing blush that would spread on her freckled cheeks whenever he complimented her or the way she would snort uncontrollably at her own jokes. <br/><br/></p><p>He’ll especially miss her quick-fire wit, and how she always had a teasing response to everything Ben would say. <br/><br/></p><p>It’s like he could hear her sharp tone of voice now. <br/><br/></p><p><em> “Ow, </em> Blaziken! Watch where you’re stepping. Those are my toes you almost trampled on.”<br/><br/></p><p>Ben can’t believe how solid and clear it sounds. <br/><br/></p><p>“Gengar, stop trying to shove that pinecone down Gloom’s throat—you know he’ll gladly eat it!”<br/><br/></p><p>How could his brain be so cruel to create such a perfect imitation of her voice? He’s beginning to get misty-eyed from how real she sounds. <br/><br/></p><p>“Blaziken, I know that look in your eyes,” his imagined version of Rey says in a warning tone. “You better not be about to—”<br/><br/></p><p>The voice suddenly yelps, sounding too close and harsh to be a figment of his imagination. Ben whips his head around in complete astonishment to find Blaziken charging through the trees at the entrance of the clearing, shooting flames out of her mouth, just barely missing—<br/><br/></p><p>“Rey,” he breathes. <br/><br/></p><p>It feels like his heart stops entirely as Rey dives out of the way of the flames, landing on her stomach over top of the grass. <br/><br/></p><p>As if she could hear his whispered greeting, Rey snaps her head up from her position on the ground, locking eyes with—<br/><br/></p><p>“Ben,” she utters in return.<br/><br/></p><p>They hold each other’s gaze for what seems like hours. Ben would’ve thought he was dreaming if it wasn’t for the realistic, pungent smell of smoke that penetrates through his trance. His eyes almost bug out of his head when he registers the bush beside Rey that is engulfed in flames. <br/><br/></p><p>It seems like Rey has the same realization, because she shoots up off the ground and begins a valiant, but ineffective, effort to stamp out the flames. <br/><br/></p><p>“Oh, shit,” she cries, stepping furiously on the lower leaves. “Shit, shit, shit. Stay back, Gloom!” <br/><br/></p><p>Without thinking, Ben jogs over to her while he unclips a poké ball from his belt, sending out Swampert. “Water pulse,” he hastily instructs. <br/><br/></p><p>“Hey, watch where you’re aiming!” she cries, jumping out of the way as Swampert quickly extinguishes the fire. “I was putting it out just fine without your help!”<br/><br/></p><p>“By stamping on the flames?” Ben asks incredulously. “You looked like you were crushing grapes into wine instead of putting out a fire.” <br/><br/></p><p>“Oh, I'm sorry. Not all of us have water Pokémon at our beck and call!” Rey stalks closer to him, furrowing her brow. “Some of us have to put out fires the old-fashioned way—which I was doing <em> just fine </em> before you barged in!” <br/><br/></p><p>“Yeah, right,” Ben scoffs as the last of the flames die down. “It would’ve spread throughout the entire forest before you even got one leaf extinguished!” <br/><br/></p><p>Due to the excitement of the fire, the two of them hadn’t noticed how close they had gotten. They both make the realization at the same time, jumping back slightly with their mouths agape, like they couldn’t believe they were standing opposite of each other right now. <br/><br/></p><p>Honestly, Ben’s having a hard enough time just processing the unaccustomed sight of Rey stumbling around in his secret forest. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben had convinced himself that he would never have the opportunity to bask in her presence ever again. So he greedily takes his fill now, roving his eyes over her adorable nose, her full pink lips, that ridiculous grass stained Primeape shirt…<br/><br/></p><p>When suddenly, a powerful foot is thrust into his chest, knocking the wind out of him as he’s pushed flat on his back.<br/><br/></p><p>He wheezes, trying to catch his breath while the foot presses even deeper into his chest, not letting up one bit. When he follows the long trail up the leg to the owner of the foot, he finds the intimidating form of Blaziken towering above him—looking drastically scarier than when he last saw her when she was only a Combusken. <br/><br/></p><p>But then again, some things never change, as she’s still got the egg clutched possessively in her strong arms, covered by a soft looking blanket. <br/><br/></p><p>Soon enough, Gengar and Gloom also saunter on over, staring down at his vulnerable position on the ground. Gengar mischievously roams his eyes over every inch of Ben’s body, like he was trying to determine which bone of his would be the funniest to break first. Gloom, on the other hand, keeps steady eye contact with Ben, repeatedly pounding the fist of his right hand into the open palm of his left. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben supposes he deserves this. He forgot how protective Rey’s Pokémon were towards her. <br/><br/></p><p>“Alright, pack it in, guys. I think you’ve scared him enough,” Rey says reproachfully, propping her hands on her hips. However, her disapproving tone is at odds with the way her mouth curls up at the side, like she was enjoying the sight of Ben at the complete mercy of her Pokémon. <br/><br/></p><p>The pressure of Blaziken’s foot disappears suddenly, allowing Ben to finally gulp down a huge lungful of air—right before the pressure is back on his chest, this time in the form of Growlithe, shielding Ben’s body from any more attacks. When really, he’s doing more harm than good with the way his paws painfully dig into his chest. <br/><br/></p><p>“Hey, Growlithe,” Rey begins tentatively, crouching down on one knee to get on his level. “How’ve you been, buddy? I’ve missed you,” she says sincerely. “I-I’m really sorry for hurting you. I hope—I hope you can forgive me.”<br/><br/></p><p>Ben grunts as Growlithe vaults off his body at record speed and races into the open arms of Rey, clearly forgiving her in favour of receiving some of his favourite head scratches. “Who’s a good boy? You’re a good boy!” she laughs, hugging his Pokémon. Something tugs on his heart to see Rey and Growlithe back to being such good friends again. <br/><br/></p><p>Meanwhile, Gengar has to physically restrain Gloom because the little Pokémon begins to recklessly windmill his arms as he tries to land a punch on Ben.<br/><br/></p><p>“Gloom! I said that’s enough,” Rey admonishes, standing up and wiping the grass stains off her knees. “Why don’t you guys go play with Growlithe? I’ve got something important I need to tell Ben.”<br/><br/></p><p>
  <em> Something important?<br/><br/></em>
</p><p>A hand is suddenly thrust into Ben’s view. He stares perplexed at the slim fingers wiggling in front of his eyes. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben doesn’t understand why Rey isn’t yelling and screaming at him right now. How did she even find him? And why is she <em> offering </em> her hand instead of using it to give him the finger like he rightfully deserves?<br/><br/></p><p>Despite his confusion, Ben cautiously reaches out and takes her hand. His breath hitches at the first point of contact—the glorious sensation feels like it’s soothing his touch starved soul. <br/><br/></p><p>It feels like coming home. <br/><br/></p><p>“Rey,” he says once he’s pulled onto his feet, staring down at her. “I’m—I’m <em> so </em> sorry,” he frantically shakes his head. “I don’t even—I <em> can’t </em> even begin to tell you how sorry—”<br/><br/></p><p>“Ben,” Rey quickly stops his rambling by waving her hand. “I know.”<br/><br/></p><p>He blinks at her, jaw hanging loose. “You…know?” <br/><br/></p><p>She offers him a little half smile and peeks up at him from under her lashes. “Can we talk?” <br/><br/></p><p>Ben swallows nervously, taking the fact that she wasn’t yelling at him as a good sign so far. “Sure,” he mumbles, nodding and gesturing in the direction of the altar. <br/><br/></p><p>They leave their Pokémon to get reacquainted with one another as Ben leads the two of them back to the stone bricks he was originally sitting on, stealing shy glances at each other the entire way over.<br/><br/></p><p>Ben resumes his position on the stone dais, letting his feet dangle above the water as Rey carefully folds her body down to sit beside him, copying his movements.<br/><br/></p><p>Both of them have their hands awkwardly placed in their laps, with their eyes studiously fixed on the water, not knowing what to say.<br/><br/></p><p>“How—”<br/><br/></p><p>“So—”<br/><br/></p><p>They both speak at once, nervously laughing at the blunder. “You go first,” Rey gently offers.<br/><br/></p><p>Ben nods and clears his throat. “How did you know where to find me?” <br/><br/></p><p>“Your mother told me,” she whispers. “She said I might find you here…and she also told me that you said there were more important things in life than being the champion.” <br/><br/></p><p>Ben groans internally. It sounded a lot more dramatic than he ever intended it to be. <br/><br/></p><p>“Did you really mean that?” she asks timidly.<br/><br/></p><p>Ben fixes his eyes on her lap, not brave enough to meet her gaze. “I did—I <em> do </em> mean that. I couldn’t put you in that position again, Rey. Your happiness is more important to me than a stupid title,” he says softly. “I really am sorry for what I did to you. I know I promised I’d stay, and I’ll regret breaking that promise for the rest of my life, but I just couldn’t stand to hurt you anymore,” he apologizes profusely, nervously stroking a loose thread on his pant leg. “I’ll understand if you choose to never forgive me, but I just—I just need you to know how sorry I am. I never wanted to hurt you, Rey. But I’m sorry I did.”<br/><br/></p><p>“I forgive you.”<br/><br/></p><p>“And I just—” <br/><br/></p><p>They both speak at the same time again, causing Ben to do a double take. “Wait, <em> what?”<br/><br/></em></p><p>
  <em> Did he hear that right?<br/><br/></em>
</p><p>“I said I forgive you, Ben,” she says patiently, looking like she was trying to stifle a smile at Ben’s stunned expression. “I know your intention wasn’t to hurt me. And while it <em> did </em> hurt,” she says, causing Ben to wince, “I don’t blame you for keeping it from me. I mean, I did react pretty badly,” she scratches the back of her head in embarrassment.<br/><br/></p><p>“You didn’t though,” he insists. “That was a perfectly reasonable response, Rey. You didn’t do anything wrong. I should’ve just told you sooner. I was—I was just too much of a coward.” <br/><br/></p><p>“I won’t deny <em> that,” </em> she says wryly, scraping the toe of her shoe against the water. “But I still meant what I said. I forgive you, Ben,” she turns her head to look up at him. “Okay?” <br/><br/></p><p>Ben thinks it’s pretty incredible how a simple three words could turn his whole world upside down. It feels like a tremendous weight has been lifted off his shoulders.<br/><br/></p><p>“Okay,” he breathes back, feeling slightly guilty about all that smack talk he was spewing towards Ho-Oh. <em> Maybe eternal happiness is back on the table.<br/><br/></em></p><p>“Besides, we both know that isn’t the <em> real </em> reason you quit,” she says suddenly, her voice dead serious.<br/><br/></p><p>“It’s not…?” Does she still not believe him? Is she still convinced he doesn’t care for her?<br/><br/></p><p>“Nope,” she shakes her head. “The real reason you quit is because you knew you wouldn't stand a chance against my team,” she says smugly, unable to keep a straight face as a big, toothy grin forms on her lips. “We wouldn't even get ten seconds into the battle before you would’ve been begging for mercy.” <br/><br/></p><p>Ben lets out a relieved chuckle, not even caring that he fell for another one of her tricks. He missed this goofy side of Rey. “Yeah, you figured out my master plan,” he plays along. “I knew I’d only be humiliated if I had to battle against you. That’s the only reason I quit. Not because I love you or anything.” <br/><br/></p><p>Rey lets out a faint gasp at the casualness of his words, her cheeks blushing into his favourite shade of pink. She looks like she’s building up the courage to say something, even going so far as to determinedly open her mouth, but she quickly changes her mind and shuts it. <br/><br/></p><p>“So you really quit for me?” she asks instead, shyly peering into his eyes. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben gets the impression that that wasn’t what she initially meant to say, but decides not to press her on it. <br/><br/></p><p>“Well, funny story,” he huffs out an awkward laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. “I…kind of got disqualified.” <br/><br/></p><p><em> “What?” </em> The dreamy look on Rey’s face vanishes into thin air, replaced with one of confusion. “But—but Leia said,” she splutters. <br/><br/></p><p>“I mean, technically I quit <em> before </em> I knew I was being disqualified,” he explains, wanting her to know the correct order of events. “Apparently disappearing for months on end and insulting every challenger that tried to battle me is not acceptable behaviour for a champion to be exhibiting,” he says sarcastically. “Who would’ve thought?”<br/><br/></p><p><em> “Ben,” </em> she giggles sweetly, playfully shoving his shoulder. “Is it true you called one trainer a ‘half-witted, scruffy looking Tauros herder’?”<br/><br/></p><p>“Yes,” he confirms slowly, narrowing his eyes in suspicion. “How’d you know that?” <br/><br/></p><p>“I have my ways,” she says slyly. <br/><br/></p><p>He blinks at her for a couple of seconds. “Poe?” <br/><br/></p><p>Rey snorts. “Who else?” <br/><br/></p><p>“I’m glad you kicked his ass in that gym battle,” Ben scowls,thinking about all the ways he could bribe Gengar to give him another wedgie. <br/><br/></p><p>“Me too,” she chuckles quietly, turning back to stare at the wind blowing through the trees scattered around the perimeter of the pond.<br/><br/></p><p>Ben roams his eyes across her profile as a thought occurs to him. “Hey, you never did tell me,” he works his jaw carefully. “You said you spoke with my mom…does that mean—were you able to beat her?” <br/><br/></p><p>She keeps him hanging in suspense as she slowly trails her gaze from the trees over to his own eyes. “Yes, Ben. I beat her,” she says in a small voice.<br/><br/></p><p><em> Ah. </em> It’s not that he ever doubted that she could win, but having confirmation that she did is like opening up a whole world's worth of conflicting emotions. <br/><br/></p><p>“That’s great news, Rey. I’m so <em> proud </em> of you,” he says earnestly. “You’re finally going to live out your dreams.”<br/><br/></p><p>Ben truly is happy for her, despite the bittersweet feelings he’s experiencing. Now that she’s champion, she’ll probably want nothing to do with him anymore. Her life is about to drastically change, and there won’t be any space for Ben in those changes. But he has to put on a brave face for her. <br/><br/></p><p>“I know you’ll be a great champion, Rey—I just know it. You're going to do <em> so </em> well. You have to—you’re the strongest, most empathetic trainer I know,” he begins to ramble in order to keep his tears at bay. “I’m happy for you, really. I know this means we’ll probably not be able to see much of each other anymore, but that’s okay,” his voice cracks slightly. “I know you’re going to do incredible things a-and I’ll always be a phone call away if you ever need anything. I really do wish the best for you, Rey.”<br/><br/></p><p>He swallows thickly and glances at her, breath hitching at how beautiful she looks in this moment. The sunlight that filters through the trees casts her face in the most resplendent radiance, accentuating the green highlights within her hazel eyes—eyes that are shining back at him in<em>…amusement? <br/><br/></em></p><p>“Ben Solo,” she says through a breathless laugh. “You are, without a doubt, the biggest <em> idiot </em> I’ve ever met in my entire life.” <br/><br/></p><p>He doesn’t even have the chance to process her words before she places her hands on his cheeks and—wonder of wonders—pulls him down into an earth-shattering kiss. <br/><br/></p><p>He just barely manages to close his eyes before her full lips slot over his in the most tender caress. They feel so smooth and soft as they work harmoniously together to create the slightest amount of heavenly friction against his own. It’s instinct that makes him wrap one of his arms around her back, pulling her closer into his embrace, willing them both to stay in this perfect moment for as long as they possibly can. <em> Please stay, </em> he begs, pushing all his love into the kiss. <em> Be with me, </em> he pleads, feeling the way Rey eagerly returns just as much. <br/><br/></p><p>What a gift she’s given him, to kiss the woman he loves. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey is the first to pull back for air, her face resting just inches from his own, breathing heavily against his surely reddened lips with her hands still cupping his cheeks.<br/><br/></p><p>“Why are you crying?” she gently whispers, brushing her thumbs over his tears—tears that Ben hadn’t even realized he was spilling. “Was the kiss that bad?” <br/><br/></p><p>He lets out a surprised, watery chuckle. “No, Rey,” he rumbles against her skin. “It couldn’t have been more perfect.” <br/><br/></p><p>When he meets her gaze, he finds that moisture has also started to pool in her eyes as she darts them minutely between his own, searching their liquid depths to discover the reason for his tears. <br/><br/></p><p>“Are they happy tears, at least?” she inquires while caressing his cheek. <br/><br/></p><p>He nods, unable to speak due to the lump that forms in his throat from gazing within the unutterable tenderness reflected in her eyes. <br/><br/></p><p>“Good. Because I plan on kissing you <em> every </em> day for the rest of our lives,” she says through a grin. “So you better get used to it.” <br/><br/></p><p>Her grand declaration shocks him back into words. “But—but you’re the champion now. You’ll have duties and obligations and—and we won’t be able to see each other that often,” he flusters.<br/><br/></p><p>Rey peers into his eyes for a few seconds longer, then drops one of her hands in order to grab his own and cradle it in the space between them. “You know, a wise man once said that there were more important things in life than being the champion,” she winks, a lone tear falling down her cheek in the process. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben’s brows pinch together as he tries to decipher what she’s trying to say. <em> Could it be...?<br/><br/></em></p><p>“I understand that now,” she nods, tightening her grip on his hand. “I’m not interested in being the champion if it takes away from the life I could be building with you. So…” she takes a deep breath and smiles serenely, “that’s why I quit.” <br/><br/></p><p>Ben squeezes her hand so hard in alarm, it surely must be painful. “But that’s your dream, Rey,” he shakes his head helplessly. “You can’t throw away your dreams for me.” <br/><br/></p><p>“You still don’t get it, do you?” Rey mutters kindly, her left thumb brushing away two more of his tears. <em> “You’re </em> what I dream of, Ben,” she whispers passionately. “Remember when you said I was the first person you think of when you wake up in the morning and the last thing you see before you fall asleep?” <br/><br/></p><p>Ben’s heart skips a beat at the fact that she remembers, word for word, the confession he made to her on the bridge. He nods. <br/><br/></p><p>“Well, that’s something I know all too well. Except, my thoughts of you don’t stop when I go to sleep. You fill up every second of every dream I’ve ever had since you barged into my life—screaming in my face,” she adds with a teasing smile.  <br/><br/></p><p>Ben chuckles and leans further into her palm at the reminder of the disastrous way in which they first met.<br/><br/></p><p>“I’m not leaving you, Ben. I can’t spend another day apart from you. That’s like asking me to live with half my heart—I just can’t,” she says simply. “Because I—” she hesitates, taking a deep breath and exhaling into a life-changing smile. “Well, because I love you, Ben.”<br/><br/></p><p>It suddenly feels like the clouds have parted and Ben is experiencing the wonder of the sun shining down on him for the first time in his life. <em> Rey loves him. </em> He doesn’t even have the chance to bask in the rays of this revelation before she continues to turn his life upside down. <br/><br/></p><p>“I’ve never felt like this towards another person before. But I <em> know </em> it must be love. Because the thought of not being with you is unbearable. I can’t go another day without hearing your laugh, or seeing you smile, or,” she affectionately swipes her thumb over his bottom lip, “kissing you,” she adds shyly, making his heart flutter madly in his chest. “These past few months have been everything to me, too. They’ve helped me realize that it doesn’t matter where my life takes me. As long as I have you by my side, everything will be okay. You’re my home, Ben. You always have been,” she says quietly, like she was telling him a secret, something fragile and precious. “And you always will be.”<br/><br/></p><p>His eyes search her face, still only inches away from his, roaming across the sincerity in her expression. <em> She means it. </em> Every single word. He believes her. How could he not, when Ben himself shares the exact same sentiments?<br/><br/></p><p>“Rey,” he breathes her name like a prayer, lips wobbling together in barely contained emotion. “I love you <em> so </em> much,” he manages to push out in a fierce whisper. Ben pulls her head down and plants a meaningful kiss to her forehead. “Nothing will keep us parted from each other ever again,” he murmurs passionately against her skin. “I’ll make sure of it.” He pulls back to gaze into her eyes, wanting to convey to her just how much she means to him. “You’re my home too, sweetheart.”<br/><br/></p><p>Rey’s answering smile is blinding. It’s a sight that Ben can’t help but reciprocate, grinning broadly in reaction to her happiness. That’s all he ever wanted—for Rey to be happy. And now she has given Ben the chance to share that happiness with the woman he loves. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey slides her arms around his middle, allowing Ben to gently pull and cradle her head down to rest against his chest, the two of them feeling completely and utterly safe in their embrace as they listen to the steady thump of their hearts, beating as one. <br/><br/></p><p>“We were always meant to find each other,” Rey whispers into his heart.<br/><br/></p><p>The very same heart that has belonged to her long before this day, and the heart that will continue to belong to her for the end of time. </p><p> </p><p>———</p><p> </p><p>Ben doesn’t know how long they stayed enveloped in each other’s arms, watching the wind blow through the trees and listening to the ambient sounds of the clearing.<br/><br/></p><p>But what he does know, is that as soon as they disentangled themselves, Rey insisted that she had something extraordinary to show him—claiming that she didn’t want there to be any more lies or secrets between them—a notion that Ben wholeheartedly agreed with. <br/><br/></p><p>So that’s the reason why he currently has his right hand clutching onto Rey’s for dear life, while his left hand is grasped in between Gardevoir’s graceful hold—immersed in a hazy, yet shockingly realistic vision of Rey and their Pokémon joyfully running around a wooden cabin nestled somewhere amongst a cluster of pine trees. <br/><br/></p><p>He has to do a double take when he notices the faint amount of wrinkles covering the back of his hands—the realization dawning on him that Gardevoir is showing him their future. In contrast to the wrinkles on his hands, Rey looks like she hasn’t aged a day. Only the soft laugh lines that frame her beautiful smile are proof that she was also growing older with him. Ben has to hold back a groan from all the old man jokes she surely has in store for him. <br/><br/></p><p>But his groan is quickly replaced with a gasp when he notices the tiny Cubone that is bundled in his arms, almost startled into dropping him. <br/><br/></p><p>Thankfully, Rey chooses this moment to tighten her grip on his hand, the sensation causing him to be pulled out of the vision and back to the twinkling sunlight of the clearing. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben blinks dazedly as his eyes try to adjust back to the light. When they do, he’s met with the pleasant sight of Rey shoving a baby Cubone into his face. <br/><br/></p><p>“Cubone,” the Pokémon greets him. <br/><br/></p><p>“He’s only a week old, so be gentle with him,” she cautions, worriedly biting her lip as Ben picks the Pokémon up under the arms and places him on his lap. <br/><br/></p><p>“Hey, little guy,” Ben says softly, patting the smooth bone that covers his head. He’ll have to send his dad an apology card for overreacting about whatever dangerous Pokémon could’ve been hiding within his egg. <br/><br/></p><p>Gardevoir abruptly floats away from them, preferring to stand by Blaziken as the fiery Pokémon seethes with rage while she watches Ben handle Cubone. <br/><br/></p><p>And it’s really not smart to risk the entire forest going up in flames if Ben chooses to taunt the clearly envious Blaziken by childishly sticking his tongue out at her—but when has he ever made <em> smart </em> decisions? <br/><br/></p><p>“Real mature, Ben,” Rey says dryly, watching him shamefully retract his tongue back into his mouth. “Is this what I’m going to have to deal with even when you’re as old as you were in that vision?” <br/><br/></p><p>He huffs out a laugh, beginning to lightly bounce Cubone on his leg. “Yeah, so you better get used to it, sweetheart,” he smirks, secretly pleased at the thought—but that doesn’t stop him from teasing her. “I can’t believe I’m going to be stuck with you for that long!” <br/><br/></p><p>Rey’s eye twitches. She looks like she’s measuring how much force it would take to push him into the pond, but settles on pinching his nose so as to not inadvertently harm Cubone.<br/><br/></p><p><em> “Ow,” </em> Ben over-exaggerates his pain. “What are you trying to do—take my nose right off my face?”<br/><br/></p><p>“Oh, relax,” she rolls her eyes. “I barely even touched you.”<br/><br/></p><p>But Ben just continues to pout at her, really laying it on thick.<br/><br/></p><p>The guilt trip must work, because Rey sighs deeply as she leans over and kisses the tip of his nose. “I don’t know who the bigger baby is,” she ponders as a slight blush forms on her cheeks, resuming her cross-legged position opposite of him. “You—or Cubone.”<br/><br/></p><p>Ben can start to feel his <em> own </em> face turn hot at her casual display of affection, already plotting about a million other ways he could get her lips back on his skin. “I knew that was all just a ploy to kiss my nose. I haven’t forgotten how obsessed you are with it.” <br/><br/></p><p>“I do love your nose,” Rey finally admits, not even attempting to deny it any longer. “Just like I love your ticklish ears,” she says while reaching towards where they’re hidden beneath his hair—but tricks him at the last second and quickly jabs him in the side instead. “And how easy it is to poke your ribs.”<br/><br/></p><p>He chuckles and flinches from her fingers, safely placing Cubone on the stone bricks between them so he wouldn’t be jostled around if Rey continued to attack him. <br/><br/></p><p>They spend a moment absorbed in the spectacle of Cubone attempting to walk back and forth on wobbly legs, praising him each time he takes a couple of steps without falling down. <br/><br/></p><p>“I can’t believe he was still a Cubone in our vision,” Rey muses, picking the Pokémon back up after a tiny tumble. “Even Gloom seemed to have evolved by then.”<br/><br/></p><p>“What do you mean?” Ben frowns, holding out his open palms as a precaution while Cubone stumbles towards him. “Gloom was passed out in front of the fireplace with his hand wedged inside a honey jar,” he tells her amusedly. Ben distinctly remembers seeing the yellow ring around his mouth instead of his usual drool. “Didn’t you go inside the cabin during the vision?” <br/><br/></p><p>“No,” she says bewilderedly. “But I saw a Vileplume run past my feet.” Rey looks up at him with her brows furrowed in confusion, grabbing Cubone and pulling him back before he waddles into the pond. “I just figured that Gloom had decided to evolve after all. He was being chased by Gengar and Growlithe.”<br/><br/></p><p>Ben can feel his entire face turn pink. Well, they <em> did </em> promise not to keep any more secrets from each other. <br/><br/></p><p>“Oh, about that,” he laughs nervously, unclipping a poké ball from his belt while trying to ignore the suspicious look on Rey’s face as he sends out—<br/><br/></p><p>“You had a Vileplume this <em> whole </em> time?”  <br/><br/></p><p>The volume of her voice causes Cubone to adorably fall over in surprise. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben picks him back up and stares sheepishly at his Vileplume, now surrounded by Rey’s Pokémon as they greet her.<br/><br/></p><p>“Why didn’t you tell me?” she asks in mild outrage. “Think of all the time she and Gloom could’ve spent bonding!”<br/><br/></p><p>“I trained with her every morning,” he defends, relieved that she doesn’t sound mad at all, just slightly annoyed that Gloom missed out on the opportunity to have another friend. “It’s not <em> my </em> fault you slept in all the time instead of waking up early to join us.”<br/><br/></p><p>“Ben,” she fixes him with a flat stare. “No <em> reasonable </em> person wakes up at the crack of dawn to exercise—it’s just not something that should be expected from me,” she shrugs. <br/><br/></p><p>“Great,” he says dryly. “So should I prepare myself in advance for the many mornings I’ll have to wrestle your unconscious body off my chest?” <br/><br/></p><p>“Who said anything about sleeping with you?” Her eyes instantly bug out of her head when she realizes the double meaning of what she said. “I mean, sleeping <em> beside </em> you,” she’s quick to correct a little breathlessly.<br/><br/></p><p>“Right,” he drawls tauntingly, enjoying the bashful way her eyes can’t seem to meet his own. He decides not to tease her <em> too </em> hard for her slip up. Honestly, even Ben fears that he’ll start to get lightheaded if he thinks about it too much. <em> Easy, Ben. One step at a time. <br/><br/></em></p><p>“Right,” he repeats, clearing his throat. “I forgot that you already have a boyfriend to keep you warm at night,” he jokes, barely able to maintain a straight face. <br/><br/></p><p>She finally musters the courage to peek up at him. “Did that vision mess with your head?” Rey raises a single eyebrow. “What’re you even talking about?”<br/><br/></p><p>“Your <em> metal </em> boyfriend,” he hints, but she still isn’t getting his joke. <em> “Magnemite,” </em> Ben imitates the Pokémon’s robotic tone, breaking into laughter in the process.<br/><br/></p><p>“How are you even <em> more </em> annoying than I remember?” She rolls her eyes, joining in on his laughter. “And it’s <em> Magneton </em> now,” she corrects, trying to throw a piece of grass in his direction, but it just drifts onto Cubone’s head. <br/><br/></p><p>“There’s <em> three </em> of him now?” he outrageously exclaims, referring to the ridiculous, three-headed chunk of metal that Magnemite evolves into. “How am I ever going to compete with three of them?”<br/><br/></p><p>“Is someone jealous?” she teases right back, picking up and playing with his fingers. “You have nothing to worry about—there’s no competition,” she’s quick to quell his worries, her tone surprisingly soft as she kisses his fingertips, causing his throat to suddenly turn dry. “Plus, you should be a little bit nicer to him after he did the honour of avenging you.” <br/><br/></p><p>Now it’s Ben’s turn to be confused. “Avenged me?”<br/><br/></p><p>“You didn’t hear?” she asks, watching Cubone try and shake the blade of grass off his head. “He totally fried your uncle Luke’s Altaria with a thunderbolt attack,” she says proudly, beaming up at him. “He evolved right after she fainted.” <br/><br/></p><p>“Hm,” Ben hums in thought, intertwining their fingers and rubbing his thumb on the back of her hand. “Maybe I’ll have to rethink my plan to have him melted down and reshaped into a decorative wind chime.”<br/><br/></p><p>Rey tries to push him away, but fails, when Ben pulls her into his side, all while he laughs at his own joke.<br/><br/></p><p>“You’re not as funny as you <em> think </em> you are,” she insists, snaking her arms around his middle despite her protests. <br/><br/></p><p>“I think I’m pretty funny.” He nearly goes cross-eyed peering down at her before swooping in and landing a quick peck on her cheek. <br/><br/></p><p>She narrows her eyes at him, the kiss succeeding in coaxing a small smile out of her. “You’re alright,” she concedes. <em> “Sometimes.”<br/><br/></em></p><p>“I’ll take it,” he rumbles in delight, gently laying his head on top of hers. <br/><br/></p><p>Cubone seems to have grown bored now that the two of them are more preoccupied with touching each other than paying attention to him. So the little Pokémon wobbles over to Blaziken, allowing her to pick him up and swing him around the clearing.<br/><br/></p><p>She’s so lost in her own world that she nearly tramples on Growlithe where he’s hiding behind a bush, tail wagging in anticipation as he waits for the right moment for Gengar to walk by so he could jump out and scare him. However, he’s oblivious to the fact that Gengar is sitting in the tree above him, about to deliver the fright of his life. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben’s eyes wander to Gloom and Vileplume, where the two Pokémon are making up for month’s worth of missed out conversations. Gloom begins to speak a little too excitedly and accidentally loses his balance and topples into the ravine. Ben can feel Rey stiffen around him—but she quickly relaxes as Swampert emerges from the depths of the ravine with Gloom on his head, shooting him back onto the safety of the grass with a hydro cannon attack.<br/><br/></p><p>His heart squeezes at the carefree sight of their Pokémon back together again—or maybe that’s just Rey’s arms gripping him tighter, feeling equally as content as him. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben can’t believe that everything is back to normal—can’t believe that he and Rey have picked up right where they left off, laughing and joking around with one another and enjoying each other’s presence—just like they used to when Rey was still on her Pokémon journey. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben finds his hands unconsciously stroking Rey’s back. <em> He missed this. <br/><br/></em></p><p>And now that he’s got <em> this </em> back, there’s no way he’s ever letting go.<br/><br/></p><p>“Ben?” Her soft voice immediately causes him to take his eyes off their Pokémon and onto her. <br/><br/></p><p>
  <em> Always hanging on her every word. <br/><br/></em>
</p><p>“What is it, sweetheart?” <br/><br/></p><p>“Well, now that we both uh,” she pauses, weighing her words, “made a mockery of the Pokémon league by quitting,” she snorts, like she still couldn’t wrap her head around the absurdity of the both of them choosing to leave their positions as the strongest trainers in the region. “What are we gonna do now? Do you think we could…I don’t know, continue to travel? There’s still a whole world’s worth of Pokémon to discover.” Her voice is full of hope as she peers up at him with equally hopeful eyes. <br/><br/></p><p>And how could he deny her wishes when she looks at him like that? Ben never stood a chance against that look in her eyes. Ever since that day in the wild area when those eyes convinced him to help her find Gloom, even though he was reluctant to do so. But he’s thankful he did, because it remains one of the best decisions he’s ever made.<br/><br/></p><p>“Do you remember when I told you I’d follow you to the ends of the world if you asked me to?” he reminds her, watching as she nods against him. “I <em> meant </em> it,” he whispers fiercely. “Every single word. Wherever you want to go—I’ll be right there beside you.” His declaration causes her to break out into his favourite toothy grin. “After all, <em> someone </em> has to be your backup when you get into a fight with every single Pokémon we meet.”<br/><br/></p><p>“Shut up,” she whines, poking him in the ribs, not even denying the inevitability of the prospect. “You’ll really follow me <em> anywhere?” </em>she asks mischievously.<br/><br/></p><p>Ben nods cautiously, wondering what that look is for. “Anywhere,” he confirms.<br/><br/></p><p>“Great,” she chirps. “Let's start with Hammerlocke—we’ve got a matching pair of Poliwag shirts to buy!” <br/><br/></p><p>Ben groans, playfully shoving her off his body. “You’ve got the entire world at your disposal and <em> that’s </em> where you want to start?” <br/><br/></p><p>“They’re cute shirts, Ben,” she defends. “And trust me, you need some <em> serious </em> improvements in the fashion department,” she says, like she’s not currently wearing a shirt with a Primeape face taking up the length of it. “I saw what you wore as your champion outfit,” she grimaces. “A cape? <em> Really?”<br/><br/></em></p><p>“Alright, alright, whatever,” he grumbles. <em> Maybe the cape was a mistake. </em> But he’s not going to let <em> her </em> know that. “We’ll go back for the Poliwag shirts,” he acquiesces, earning a thrilled laugh from Rey. <em> “Only </em> if you’ll let me buy you that leppa berry skirt too,” he says devilishly, watching as the smile drops from her face.<br/><br/></p><p>“The skirt you described as <em> neat?” </em> She narrows her eyes at him. “Now why would you want to buy me a skirt that made you look like you were choking on a berry?” she asks innocently. <br/><br/></p><p>“You knew <em> exactly </em> what you were doing walking out of the dressing room looking like that,” he accuses, wrapping his arms around her and squeezing her close to his body. “It’s like you live for the sole purpose of torturing me,” he growls in her ear. <br/><br/></p><p>“Yeah, but you love me,” she sweetly replies.<br/><br/></p><p>He presses a kiss to her temple, pulling back to gaze into her eyes. “I really do.”<br/><br/></p><p>“Alright, old man,” she teases. “Keep kissing me like <em> that </em> and we have a deal.” <br/><br/></p><p>Ben begins to enthusiastically pepper chaste kisses all over her face—a quick one on her nose, two on each cheek, and saving his sweetest one for her mouth, their lips dancing together in a delicate embrace. <br/><br/></p><p>She chases after his mouth when he pulls away, not wanting the moment to end. But he just cradles her chin gently, stilling her movements. “Easy, sweetheart—we’ve got a whole lifetime’s worth of kisses to share.” He smiles at her, gazing upon the wonder of her beauty, taken by such an overwhelming wave of love for the woman he gets to spend the rest of his life with. <br/><br/></p><p>“And a whole lifetime of adventures to live,” she softly smiles back.<br/><br/></p><p>“Forever.”  </p><p>
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</p><p>“Why’d you have to go and shake that berry tree?” <br/><br/></p><p>Six months later and Rey <em> still </em> hadn’t learned her lesson. <br/><br/></p><p>“I was hungry!” Rey breathlessly shouts back in defense. “How was I supposed to know there was a Beedrill hive hidden inside?” <br/><br/></p><p>She honestly doesn’t know why Ben is surprised—he should be used to her voracious appetite by now. <br/><br/></p><p>While the breakfast he made her this morning was delicious, she couldn’t resist the juicy oran berries she spotted poking out of a nearby tree. <br/><br/></p><p>“Oh, I don’t know,” he says sarcastically, vaulting over a hollowed out log. “Maybe the ominous buzzing sound that was coming out of the branches?” <br/><br/></p><p><em> Well, he’s got her there. </em> Rey just thought that noise was the sound of her body vibrating with barely contained excitement for some berries.<br/><br/></p><p>Her crucial error had caused them to flee their campsite—still in their pajamas—with no time to grab their belongings as they were pursued by the angry swarm of Beedrills. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben hastily yanks her arm to pull her out of the path of a tree up ahead, having been too lost in her thoughts to see it rapidly approaching her. <br/><br/></p><p>“Be careful,” he cautions, continuing to run alongside her. “I know being chased by a murderous swarm of Beedrills is part of a normal day for you,” he says dryly, pointing his thumb over his shoulder. “But let’s not make my life any harder by trying to run into trees now!” <br/><br/></p><p>She doesn’t even care about him teasing her, she’s too preoccupied with his accidental pun. <em> “Bee </em> careful,” she snickers, completely out of breath. <br/><br/></p><p>Rey chances a quick peek over at Ben and catches a look of pure astonishment on his face, like he couldn’t believe her right now. <em> “Really? </em> Every inch of our skin is about to be covered in stingers and you’re making <em> jokes?”<br/><br/></em></p><p>“It was your joke,” she giggles, dodging out of the way of another tree. “Hey, I saw that one!” She proudly points to the tree for Ben to see. <br/><br/></p><p>A reluctant smile spreads across his face as he shakes his head fondly at her, his hair swinging madly around his shoulders with every leap. He opens his mouth, probably to offer some kind of sarcastic response, but the low threatening buzz of the Beedrills shuts him up quicker than Rey had ever been able to accomplish.<br/><br/></p><p>She may need to steal some pointers from these Beedrills. Rey had been implementing the effective strategy of kissing Ben whenever she wanted him to shut those big dumb lips. Who knew that all this time she could’ve just buzzed at him? <br/><br/></p><p>There were a lot of new things that Rey had been discovering about Ben as their relationship developed. She already knew a great deal about what it was like to live with him after spending all those initial months travelling together. But after they had confessed their love for each other, it was like they opened up a whole new set of intimate aspects to learn about one another.<br/><br/></p><p>Like how Ben preferred to hold her safely in his arms as they slept, not minding in the slightest if she drooled on his chest. Or how he couldn’t seem to take his hands off her, constantly touching her when they were cooking or training, or even just relaxing after a long day. He always wanted to feel the comfort of her skin under his fingertips—a desire that Rey shared wholeheartedly. <br/><br/></p><p>These past few months have been the happiest days of her life. She had spent the time training her Pokémon, catching new ones, and exploring the world. All while she explored her relationship with Ben. She thought life couldn’t get any better than the months she spent with Ben on her Pokémon journey. But she has never been so happy to be proven wrong. <br/><br/></p><p>Her life has only been getting better and better. <br/><br/></p><p>And one of the most special parts about their lives now, is that they weren’t in any sort of rush. They could continue to travel for as long as their heart’s desired, while continuing to grow their family by chasing after and catching as many Pokémon as they wanted. But most importantly, they had the time to savour every little moment of love shared between them—secured in knowing that the cozy cabin in the pine forest would always be waiting for them whenever they were ready. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben’s gasp of surprise draws her out of her reverie. “Oh, shit,” he hisses.<br/><br/></p><p>Rey follows his line of sight and swears. “That’s a fucking cliff, Ben!” <br/><br/></p><p>“I can <em> see </em> that,” he barks back.<br/><br/></p><p>“What are we gonna do?” she asks, skidding to a stop before she falls over, Ben copying her movements. <br/><br/></p><p>They both look behind them at the Beedrills just seconds away from catching up to them—then over the cliffside at the deep blue water below.<br/><br/></p><p>“Do you trust me?” he asks suddenly, sticking out his hand. <br/><br/></p><p>Ben had made a lot of progress with his fear of heights, all thanks to a certain once-extinct Pokémon that liked to visit them every so often.<br/><br/></p><p>“Of course I do,” she answers instantly, taking his hand. <br/><br/></p><p>He swallows and nods at her, looking so heartbreakingly handsome in this moment with the sun in his eyes and his hair blowing in the wind, that she can’t help but smile. <br/><br/></p><p>“We’re really doing this?” she laughs, looking down at her clothes. “We’re really about to jump off a cliff in our pajamas?” <br/><br/></p><p>He chuckles in return, quickly cupping her cheek with his free hand. “Of course we are, sweetheart,” he presses a swift kiss to her forehead. “And you’ve never looked more beautiful.” <br/><br/></p><p><em> Oh. </em> Even after all this time, he still knows just how to make her heart flutter.<br/><br/></p><p>“On the count of three,” he says, pulling her back into the moment. “One.”<br/><br/></p><p>“Two,” she replies, gripping his hand impossibly tighter, the swarming of the Beedrills filling her ears. <br/><br/></p><p>
  <em> “Three!” <br/><br/></em>
</p><p>They both leap from the cliff, Rey whooping in delight as she feels the wind stirred up by the Beedrills zipping past her head, just narrowly missing their stingers.<br/><br/></p><p>They hit the water in no time, plunging into the chilly depths. Rey waves her arms and legs wildly for a few panic-ridden moments, but soon feels two strong hands grip around her waist, pulling her above the surface.<br/><br/></p><p>She inhales a stuttering breath of air, quickly blinking the water out of her eyes. <br/><br/></p><p>“You’re okay, I’ve got you,” Ben rasps in her ear. “Wrap your legs around my waist.” <br/><br/></p><p>“But you’ll sink,” she objects, curling her legs around him anyways. “Everyone knows that trees don’t float.” <br/><br/></p><p>When she can finally see clearly again, she’s met with the adorable sight of Ben, hair and pajamas plastered to his skin. “Making fun of me even after I just saved your life?” He shakes his head fondly, mouth cracking into a goofy grin. “Don’t ever change, Rey.”<br/><br/></p><p>“Wasn’t planning on it,” she says sweetly, pushing the hair out of his face and capturing his lips in a kiss.<br/><br/></p><p>Rey has lost count of the amount of times she’s kissed Ben by now. But there’s something about his plush, soft lips that make every time feel like the first. Heat bubbles under her lips, despite the coldness of the water, warming her up in the most satisfying way. She’s getting lightheaded from the greedy pull of his mouth as he deepens the kiss, gladly receiving all of the love and affection he pours into her. <br/><br/></p><p>They both pull back eventually, foreheads resting together while they breathe heavily against each other’s lips.<br/><br/></p><p>“No more shaking berry trees,” he rumbles deeply. “Please, I think I’m getting too old to be constantly chased by Pokémon.” <br/><br/></p><p>She laughs breathlessly, pulling him into one more kiss—this one soft and slow and meaningful, gently moving against his lips with tender care, only pulling back when the need for air grows too insistent. <br/><br/></p><p>“I love you, Ben,” she says with her whole heart.<br/><br/></p><p>It seems like she has finally found her place in this world. <br/><br/></p><p>“I love you too, Rey,” his heart whispers in return. <br/><br/></p><p>And so has he. <br/><br/></p><p>As she gazes into the eyes of the man she loves, the promise of forever staring back at her—Rey thinks that there was at least <em> one </em> berry tree that she would always be grateful for shaking. </p><p>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>It’s finally done!!! I just want to say thanks to everyone who read, gave kudos, and commented. You’re all incredible and were the biggest source of motivation for me to keep writing, so thank you!!!<br/>This fic was never meant to be this long and I can’t believe I wrote 98k words of it. I think I need a nap.<br/>Again, thank you so much for giving this fic a chance and reading 💖</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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